Here I am, sitting in the corner of a large lab - absolutely no human habitation for many many inches (and quite a few feet) in the radius. Surrounded by a lot of costly networking equipment, some of which are probably smarter than me - but making loud humming noises.
All this loneliness and drab office life makes me yearn for the good old days I spent in noisy cubicles in Infosys Bangalore. I just cant wait to get back to all that. I love my country.
Anyways, when in such dire conditions, even a spark of entertainment is welcomed with open hearts and arms. And one such spark came from discovering another blog where some good samaritans have been posting Indrajal comics. (Chk out http://thecomicproject.blogspot.com)
I am not sure how many people remember these comics. I literally grew up on these 32-pagers. Phantom, Mandrake, Flash Gordon and our very own desi-hero Bahadur fighting the baddies. Man, those were the days.
I still remember being a little geek who used to love reading all those comics when having dinner, or hiding them in-between my text-books (or under the pillow) and being lost in that world. I am thankful my parents could afford the comics and were kind enough to allow me to read them a lot. But not without scolding me a lot.
Also, I somehow managed to retain my huge comic collection intact till I hit my late teens. Of course, by then comics had made way for novels and biographies. And Indrajal had metamorphosed into Archie, Asterix, etc.
When I started saving a little too much pocket money, I decided to get my comic collection fully hard-bound for "future" usage. But well begun is always half-done. I really never got to read them afterwards. Frankly, they didn’t attract me anymore.
Now that’s probably like the loss of innocence thingie. But surpriseeee - I re-discovered them at this Comic project blog. Thanks again, guys! Now I am probably reliving my childhood memories too.
Come to think of it. I am probably in a similar situation again. I have a heavy work-load on my head now, much like the exam and home-work pressure I had. I don’t have a TV with me here, much like only a bit of Doordarshan we used to get in the 80s. And quite a few others which drive me to read comics all over again.
I am just happy that I am able to re-live a part of my childhood which I have only pleasant memories about. It’s funny that old comics are helping me do that - but hey, I am not complaining.
I just wish I could re-live many more of those nostalgic days.....
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
An old travel-log
I wrote this bit more than 2 years ago. Its a bit lenghty, but most ppl who read it liked it. Its a travel log of a trip I made with some close buddies to BR Hills near Bangalore. Man, those days seem so loooong ago - wish I could re-live them ....
Prologue
False-starters - that is what we are. A bunch of false-starters. Maybe we should name our gang that. Oh, by the way, the core gang members are Ajeya (aka PJ), Raghuram (aka Bonda aka Rama), Deepu (aka many nick-names) Shiva (aka Maddy), Varada (aka Dingri), Varun (aka Bokax) and me (aka Buss). The others are Nandan (aka Ganesha) and Vishwas (aka Child) who could not be a part of this trip.
Why are we False-starters? Simple. We may be close-knit, but when it comes to making decisions to go somewhere or do something together, we can never arrive at a consensus. The result was very clear: many failed attempts to go on trips, movies, treats, etc. But then, we had to spoil our bad record too, and God finally opened his third, fourth, whatever eyes and we somehow did go on a trip. The trip was to BR Hills, some 230 kms to the south of Bangalore. We were to stay in a jungle lodge for 2 days and a night. We set out on Jan 30th and returned on Jan 31st.
It all started with Rama calling us to Kamat canteen at Infosys and putting forth a couple of options for a week-end trip. I felt it was doomed as usual, and so I kept quiet - only to be proven wrong later. After many considerations and deliberations, we all decided for the BR Hills jungle lodge trip. The consensus was reached too easily, and obviously we all had our doubts about this possible non-starter. But as it turned out, it was one of the best fun-times we had together.
Next, we proceeded to Varun's cubicle (one of my ex-favs), called up those guys, and booked the lodge. Rama sent a mail beseeching us all to pay 460 Rs. to him. And as usual, a couple of us took that as an opportunity to needle him. Deepu and Varada then booked a cab from SRS travels for Saturday early morning (of course I didn't ask my aunt for the transportation, after the non-starter 2 weeks before that)
That night, Rama called me and asked me if I was ready to go to their office in the morning on 27th and pay the money. He had asked many others, and we all unanimously rejected the "offer". The poor guy then made a trip to the office, paid the money and then came to office by auto (Hey, we did pay for the auto fare too!) After lunch that day, we all decided who had to be picked up where. Also, we decided to pool some money, place it with the most honest person in the gang (that's me, in case you haven't guessed it yet). I was to be the official still photographer, and Ajeya the videographer. Deepu and Ajeya took responsibility of music, and Deepu promised a surprise......
So, that was it - we were all set for a rare trip together. I guess Indra, the Demigod of the travelers, was smiling upon us.
So it starts
The cab was to come near my house, from where me, Varada and Rama were to start. All of us were to get up and be ready by 5 am. I had to go and pick-up Rama from his house in Sultanpalya. So, I got up at 4;30 am, and set-out to his never-before-seen house in the biting cold, leather-jacket and all. After losing my way a million times, I finally managed to come to the place he had asked me to wait. It was in front of a theatre running a dirty movie, and I had to wait in front of a dirty poster (well, it did keep me warm though!) Finally, the doofus came there, and we set back to my house. On the way, the moron told me that he DID have an option of coming to my house by an auto, but wanted me to pick him up - some royal treatment crap.
On the way back, almost everyone called us on my cell, including the great Deepu! I was so thrilled by receiving his call that I felt I should leave my blessed cell at home. Varada was waiting at my home with the cab, steam slowly pouring from his ears. We all jumped into the cab and off we set out to Varun's house. We picked Varun and Shiva (who couldn't travel 3 kms to Varun's house to save us 10 kms) on the way, and then towards JP Nagar where we picked up Ajeya and Deepu.
The cab had some awful stink, but we didn't care much. It was another God-scent (sic) chance to needle Ajeya about his stinking socks. And his forgetfulness to get a pair of sandals was to make him pay heavily later on the trip. So, we set off from Bangalore at roughly 6 am.
I had packed some of my self-recorded cassettes, but there not a very popular choice within the gang. So, the day was saved by the Deepu-Ajeya duo. Between them, they had got some really cool gadgetry. Deepu had got a special cassette, which could be fed data from any music player and played in the cab's player, and Ajeya had got his hot iPod with its huge collection of songs. These two together made our traveling time a completely pleasant thing. Of course, it also led to fights as to who would be the jockey, and what songs to be played, with shouts all along like "Ajeya, change the song/play that song" and "What a lousy jockey".
Kanakapura
An army travels on its stomach, and with people like Rama with us, it is mostly bound to be pet-puja all the way. So, the first stop was any decent hotel in Kanakapura, a small town on the way. Deepu's vast knowledge of every place on Mother Earth was in handy here, and we decided to have breakfast at one decent looking hotel there. We had our share of dosas, idlis, pooris, more dosas, khara-bath and coffee. After everyone had finished eating the not-so-hot breakfast and burped well, we bought extra rations in the form of biscuits and gum. Sitting in the back-seat, I now had the additional responsibility of saving the meager rations from the ever-hungry Rama.
As soon as we started, Deepu started looking out for something - a liquor shop. Little did I know that these souls had planned to drink that night. Anyways, Deepu's sharp eyes didn't miss the only open bar in the town. Some of the guys jumped out and returned a bit later with two bottles of Vodka. I was naturally reluctant to pay for the same from the pooled money, but then the majority decision always rules.
As we progressed, we really needed to take a leak. So the driver stopped near a swamp. We all got out and also wasted five minutes of video footage on some non-existent duck in the mire. However, the break wasn't exactly a waste; with me and Shiva not allowing Rama have a decent leak - all well documented by another expert videographer, Varada.
On the way, we also stopped near some dam, and shot a few snaps. There were a couple of stray puppies there, but Deepu thankfully let them be. We also armed ourselves with some cool drinks at the next stop.
Soon, the driver got a bit sleepy, and requested someone to drive for some time. In came Varun, and literally took to the wheels. Our new driver wasn't spared of Rama's caustic comments though. However, Varun did a commendably good job, driving safe and well for close to an hour, while our real driver got some much-needed rest. Well, now we know that he had other career opportunities if he gets bored of being an engineer.
BR Hills
We needed to check into the lodge by 1 pm, so we had some spare time with us. We decided to visit the temple on the top of the hills before proceeding to the lodge. The cab then started a dangerous curvy path along the hill.
Just a few kms from the top, we all got off at a pretty vintage spot. The view from here was amazing. There was also a view-point-tower near the edge of the hill. We all got onto the rusty and shaky structure, praying that it wouldn't topple over. The shaky thing probably made Ajeya wet his pants, what with the way he was crying out to everyone not to shake the structure. And of course, Shiva did do the very thing, only to be inundated with his swearing.
Finally, we reached the temple. Leaving out foot-wear in the cab, we climbed the steps to the temple. Surprising, for a hot day, the weather was pretty cool. The temple was crowded a bit, so we didn't go inside. Instead, we loitered around the temple for sometime. Again, the views around the temple were breath taking. Totally covered on all sides by thick forests. Lucky Veerappan - he got to spend so much time in these forests. I guess Deepu was slowly nursing thoughts of becoming his heir and continue his legacy - but that is all classified information! He also shot some great videos of the temple, though peppered with under-the-breath swearing and loud breathing.
All set and done, we started off to the lodge. None of us knew how to reach the place, so we just prayed that we reach safely and correctly. We kept on going for too long a time, and were slowly wondering if we had got lost. But them, Indra was looking upon us, and after a long time of driving in the forest, we came to the jungle lodge - all safe and with some songs in our mouths.
Jungle Lodge
The lodge was surprisingly grand and attractive for a government undertaking. We had booked a dorm and a tent. The dorm was a long room with seven beds (wonder if it was a coincidence, just something out of Snow White). We unpacked whatever we could, but then we are not girls, so we had only light baggage with new soap and deo-sprays coming closest to any form of "cleanliness". Of course, Ajeya's socks found their way to a corner of the room, only to torture us later in the night.
We went out and saw the rest of the landscape. The lodge was simply marvelous. Very well planned with some great structures. There were many tents, one of which was ours. Also, there were many log-houses and there was the main building, the first floor of which housed our dorm. There was also a small lake, and some simple houses near-by. There was also a beautiful little school nearby, straight out of Malgudi Days.
We were served our lunch soon. The ever-hungry ones immediately fell upon the food with great lust. Wait, That was only Rama, showing off the one thing he was really good at. All in all, the food was pretty good, which is very important when you are holidaying. Also, Deepu and Shiva were doubly happy since there were also non-veg items.
After hogging ourselves as if there would be no food for the next year, we decided to roam around till 4:30, when we would be having an open-jeep safari.
Deepu and the Net-Work
After lunch, we wanted to laze out a bit. Maybe Rama's influence was affecting us after all, or maybe we were genuinely tired. But, as it turned out, we ended having fun even when we were relaxing.
There were a couple of big nets tied to trees near out tent. These were to serve as hammocks. We decided to sleep on them for sometime. But, none of us had ever used a hammock before. So, it was up to Deepu to test it for us.
The great one climbed nimbly onto the edge of the net and was all set to conquer it for us. We were all cheering him, when he celebrated a bit too early. He tried to enter the net, but in his enthusiasm, he tripped over the edge, and rolled head over heels into the net. We were also head over heels - with laughter. Shiva and Varada, who were gone for some time with their own private rendezvous, came running and joined the party. We all climbed into the nets, and rested for sometime, though most of us were trying hard to get a comfy position.
After sometime, and many positions later, we started to get off the hammock. Being software engineers, we followed the stack principle - first in is last out. So, Deepu was left alone on the net, while we were all on the ground. Then it occurred to me that Deepu's birthday bumps were long due, and we all realized that here was a perfect opportunity. So, six pairs of legs started to kick him. But the monkey that he is, he managed to escape and jumped to the ground safely. But we were not ones who give up so easily. We caught him, and the same six pairs of bumps-starved legs landed one beautiful bump after another on Deepu's rear end, till he howled in pain. There were some plans to award the same treatment to some other "quiet" members of the gang, but the plan didn't "work-out".
We then explored the lodge and the other places around, including a tree on which, surprisingly, Rama got onto first. Surprising agile for his bulk. Then, we all followed him onto the tree. After much goofing around, many snaps and a really lot of video footage later (Ajeya and Varada did most of the shooting this time), we went on a mini-trek to a small hill behind the lodge.
Mini-Trek
The trek was just a small hillock. We trudged to its foot, with Rama leading us. After climbing for a few minutes, we were almost near the top (our very own Lalbagh has a taller hill), we decided to rest for sometime on a boulder. Then, we spotted a tree that looked pretty climbable. Fresh from his tree-climbing experience, Rama decided to climb this one too. However, things were not so easy this time; the tree wasn't an easy bet. After much comical struggling due to his tight pants, a lot of pushing from Deepu, and even more jeering and shouting from the rest of us, he somehow climbed on, only to be greeted with some monkey crap on the top (I guess he did step on it, but he never did accept it)
Next, Deepu followed his mentor (not the monkey which had dirtied the place, but the other one) onto the tree. They both then gave us some Lagaan style song sequence, till we literally begged them to stop, lest we fall down laughing too hard.
Not to be left behind, Shiva, Varada and I followed them to the treetop, carefully avoiding the monkey crap though. Ajeya backed out in the last minute, and preferred being the photographer with Varun. We all had a short but nice time on the treetop, with ribald jokes and jeering poring from all quarters.
Then, it was almost time for our safari, and we set off to the lodge.
Jungle-Safari
The safari was in an open-roof jeep with the driver also doubling as our guide. We were all waiting for the jeep, and had a few biscuits and coffee. There was a Firang couple that was to come with us. Unfortunately for all of us, the woman looked uglier than the guy. Rama tried to get friendly with them, only managing to scare them away. So, we ended up having the whole jeep for ourselves.
After a few words of caution from the main in-charge, we set out. All of us expecting the entire jungle to come out and meet us, we had our cameras all set. The jeep first went on the regular road, and then turned inwards, proceeding on a real jungle trail. We went past the hutments of the Soliga tribe, about whom we had read in our schools. I think we all felt a pang of jealously seeing their simple and happy lifestyle.
To make a long but not too eventful safari short, we managed to see many types of deer and bison. We also did get to see an owl and some white monkeys. Along the trail, the driver showed us fresh tiger tracks, but no tiger! We had a break from driving when we stopped near a pond, or in jungle terms, a watering hole. We climbed onto a watchtower and waited for sometime, but not a single animal came along.
We then continued deep into the forest for some more time. Then, we are not sure whether it was the rough terrain, or the incredibly heavy mass of Rama, but our jeep had a puncture. We got down and roamed around till the driver changed the tire. It was becoming dark and late, so we started back.
We were almost near the end of the jungle trail, when bang, there were two elephants right rear the trail, must have been Veerappan's pets. The driver killed the engine, so not to excite the pachyderms, one of which was a calf. Then our luck ran out, with both the cameras dying at the same time. So, we ended up without a single shot of the elephants.
We then returned to the lodge mildly disappointed that we didn't get to see any exotic animals. Maybe we must write back to the lodge people to recount the number of deer in the jungle - Deepu had a strange look on his face when he was seeing them, and I think his mouth was already watering. I really don't want our trip to become another Salman Khan fiasco!
We were welcomed back at the lodge with come coffee, and a lot of chilly-bajjis. We were thoroughly famished, and gobbled down the bajjis in tens. We then freshened ourselves and decided to go to the tent, rather than attending the video show they were playing.
At the Tent
The lodge people were kind enough to provide us with a pack of cards for the evening. We all proceeded to the tent and started getting settled there. Once we were all smug and settled, Varun brought out the Vodka bottles and the Sprite bottle. The lodge attendant also gave a bottle of beer and some masala peanuts. The bottles were opened and liquour flowed freely amidst much cheers and my repulsion. Ajeya and I were the ones who didn't drink that night, which saw many a frontiers fall. Somewhere along the way there was a slight friction between me and Deepu, but that was forgotten fast.
Along with the drinks, we settled for a game of Bluff. The rounds went on for long with the usual shouting, taunting, allegations of cheating, etc. Finally, as expected, Rama lost the game. Varun and Varada were complaining that the expected kick from the drinks didn't come, and we were all pretty eager to provide them with kicks of a different kind!
Then we proceeded to have dinner. Again, the food was good, with Channa Masala and Palak Paneer, and for once I was just too happy. Famished from the trip and the game, we again hogged ourselves, making sure that the server was kept unusually busy serving us extra rotis.
We then returned to the tent for some more cards, but got bored soon. So, we decided to go near the camp-fire and chat.
Good-Night
The lodge people had started a fine camp-fire and we all settled around it. The chill in the air was really new to all of us, and the fire was really cozy too. We didn't have much to do till a group of marketing professionals also came near the fire. They broke the ice between us by offering some whiskey to us, which Rama and the others gulped down in seconds. Soon, we got talking with them, and we got to know each others.
Some of them sang a few songs, and goaded us to sing too. None of us were eager to sing, and finally, Rama responded with a decent recital of 'Ek din bik jaayega'. Well, at least one of us sang, bravo Infosys!
After some time, the other guys left and we had the fire to ourselves. The lodge people turn off the lights at 10:30 pm, so it was totally dark all around except for the fire. It was an eerie yet exciting feeling that overcame all of us sitting there and as usual, joking.
One of us spotted a stag that had ventured near the lodge, and Deepu started drooling again. We decided to retire for the night, before he got some crazy ideas.
We all decided to sleep in the dorm, as against the initial idea of Shiva and Varada sleeping in the tent. So, we all entered the dorm, switched to our night gear, and selected our beds.
No sooner had we all settled, than we started hearing a strange and scary noise. It wasn't long before we realized that it was Varada snoring to eternity. We wanted to plug his nose and mouth with some cotton, but decided against it. We were just getting used to his demonic snoring when another candidate started the same - Rama. The two were snoring as if in competition!
And the rest of us poor souls somehow managed to sleep despite all the inhuman torture we were being subjected to.
The Mega-Trek
We all got up at around 6 am the next morning. Shiva and Varada slipped out to the tent leaving the five of us with a single bathroom. With great difficulty, bearing many bathroom jokes and silly taunting, we somehow managed to get ready for the morning trek. We went to the tent only to see the two lazy goofs hadn't even got ready, despite having a big bathroom for themselves.
We all assembled near the entrance of the lodge, and we were told that the two Firangs were to accompany us on the trek. The poor devils, they would have to bear us all the way, and we all had our own personal share of pity of them and for us, because as I told you before, both of them were incredibly ugly.
Thus, we set out on the trek, with chief videographer Deepu leading the way.
The trek wasn't an easy bet, especially for our lazy and over-weight bodies. Very soon we all started huffing and puffing. Some over-weight people had started sweating profusely, and I was afraid he may have a heart-attack or something. Trudging wearily, no mood for jokes, occasionally begging for breaks, we seemed really pathetic. Even the Firang lady was trekking better. There were many resolutions to go back and start gymming, dieting, etc. The pick of the tired lot was Ajeya, making us laugh with tiredness jokes and deft dialogues about him being the fittest of all. If only we weren't so tired, we would have rolled on the ground with laughter.
After what seemed an eternity, we reached the top of the hill. The guide told us we may have trekked just over 2 kms, but for each of us, it seemed more like 200. I am sure every one of us was mentally resolved to go back home and get into shape.
On the top of the hill was a watch-tower. It was a great view-point from where all the surrounding hills and forests could be seen. The sun was mild and the gentle mist added to the heavenliness of the locale.
One of the strangest things that hit all of us was the amazing stillness of the place. The air was pure (despite the fact that none of us had taken a bath that day), there were no noises, and the only sounds were that of birds chirping and the trees swaying in the mild breeze. Gosh, I wish I was a poet so I could express the beauty of the place poetically.
The tower could be accessed only by a rail-ladder and climbing it was an adventure in itself (Ajeya at it again). Once on the top, we captured the scenes all around with our cameras. Then, it was time to return to the camp.
Climbing down a hill is just a fraction as difficult as climbing up. So, this time there was no sweating or numerous breaks. The guide was also showing us the many varieties of trees on the way; though I am sure none cared a hoot for all that.
We were itching to have our regular style of fun, with loud joking, shouting, etc. but the Firang lady requested us to remain silent, or so as Deepu interpreted her, and we had to restrain ourselves, what with Deepu acting as her chamcha. Soon, we were back onto the main road near the lodge.
Ajeya, Rama and I remained back and decided to have a look at the school near the lodge. It was a lovely little school, whose students trudge for over 3 kms everyday in the forest to reach it. It had just 4 classrooms and a staff room, with a small lawn and a bamboo flag-pole. Memories of Malgudi Days came rushing back to us.....
We then proceeded to the lodge where a fine breakfast was awaiting us. Tired and famished from the trek, we again gobbled down the food in a matter of minutes. Then, it was time for checking out. So we proceeded to the tent and the dorm and started getting ready.
Once we were all set, we met at the tent and argued endlessly as to where to proceed from there. We decided to first visit Nanjangud, and decide later about the rest of the journey. Then came the endless discussion about tips, how much we had spent, etc. Boy, will we ever do anything without a single argument? It will be a cold day in hell when that happens!
Nanjangud
So it was destination Nanjangud, the small temple town near Mysore. I had a personal connection with the town, since it was there my parents got married. We put our luggage in the cab and said good-bye to the lodge people, and especially to the Firang couple (who were probably celebrating our departure as the high-point of their trip!)
The driver then told us that he had himself gone on a trek the previous day evening with the others drivers, and had got to see many animals, including a tiger. We were all burning internally, since the closest we had come to seeing a tiger was the set of stupid tracks some lousy tiger had left behind.
Anyways, our stay at the lodge was done and we set out to Nanjangud. We traveled along the simple yet enchanting country-side for sometime before coming upon a coconut-water seller on the road. We all got down and had our fill of tender coconut water, the location set in a green coconut orchard. We then continued towards Nanjangud.
Arriving at Nanjangud, we removed our footwear in the cab and proceeded to the temple. Standing in a medium queue, we had our darshan pretty early, and managed to get out fast. The same could not be said about Rama and Ajeya, who got stuck in the antechamber for a long time. Well, it is true that old people need to spend more time with God.
There was an elephant calf belonging to the temple, tied in a shed nearby, and we went to see the playful creature, while waiting for the two to come out. Once they were out, we set out towards Mysore, still arguing where to go next.
But, there was an even more important decision to be taken: where to have lunch since were all naturally famished, having eaten only a "little" breakfast just a little while ago.
The driver then took us to a fancy hotel on the highway towards Mysore. We all settled at the pretty good-looking but empty hotel, and ordered our food. This time we were a bit more careful in ordering, since it was no more an unlimited buffet as were our last 3 meals.
Done with our food, all burped and all bills paid for, we decided to visit Balmuri next, and then proceed towards home. Deepu and Shiva wanted to try out some fish-delicacy there. So it was, we set out to Balmuri with great plans for swimming.
Balmuri
Arriving at Balmuri, which is a mini dam across Kaveri, we were mildly disappointed. The water level was low, and the water also appeared dirty. But those things don't inhibit psychos like us, and except for Varun and me, all the others did a mini strip-tease and got into their swimming trunks. We both decided against entering the water because we didn't have the attire, and the water didn't look too inviting.
Thus, the five entered the frigid water, and had a great deal of fun. Ajeya was shrieking like a small girl when he sat in the water. After more fooling around and photos later, they got out and entered the water on the main bund side of the dam. Unfortunately for them, Rama was the only one who knew swimming among them, and the others were forced to request him to teach them to swim (oh, how very humiliating!) Ajeya was again in his elements with his trunks bubbling up funnily, and on top of it all, he was wearing his glasses when in water.
As it was getting late, we goaded them to come out and get dry. Then we all decided to walk along the length of the dam and take a stroll around. So, we set out and reached the other end of the dam.
Suddenly, Ajeya wanted to take a leak. But, unfortunately for him, he was bare-foot and didn't want to go near the bushes. He begged me to lend him mine, but I refused, as did the others. Without no other go, and the pressure ever-increasing, he decided to go for it on the river edge itself. But, little did he realize that Shiva was cooking up a new scheme in mind. The minute he was at it, Shiva asked me to shoot Ajeya in action, which I did! Man that was one photo none of us were to forget in a long while - true paparazzi stuff! Even funnier was Ajeya's reaction when he realized what had happened. Me and Shiva were subjected to the choicest of swearing, but nothing was going to make me delete that photo. However, he did manage to delete the photo later.
As we all assembled at the cab, everyone was rolling in laughter seeing the snap. Ajeya threatened me with a million consequences if I didn't delete the photo, but of no avail. Finally, grumbling, he joined us in the cab, and we all set towards Bangalore. Our trip was a major success, worth every rupee, indeed.
Returning Back
I don't know if our driver had F1 blood in his veins, but he did drive like one of them. Driving at top speeds on the congested and freaky Mysore road, he literally had all of us on the edge of our seats. Sitting in the front seat, Ajeya and I were saying our prayers.
Sitting in the front seat with Ajeya, I got a chance to be the jockey for once. Unfortunately, his iPod batteries died soon, and we had to resort to good old Radio City.
We wanted a coffee break, and asked the driver to stop at the Kamat hotel on Mysore road. But he wasn't able to do that, and so we had to go all the way till Ramanagaram. There, we got down, and had some coffee and tea from a road-side stall.
Well, that was the end of the trip. Though tired, we were all sad that it had ended, and wanted more. There were already talks about the next one, but then, as I said before, we are famous false-starters. It may be really a long time before I get an opportunity to write another log like this.
Shiva was dropped off first, and we proceeded towards Varun's house. There, Ajeya and Deepu also got off, and were to take Varun's bike to go home. Next, Rama got off at the bus-stop and me and Varada got off near our houses, after finalizing the cab expenses. We had traveled 600 kms in all.
Epilogue
The very next day, I got the photos onto my PC and sent it across to all the others. Varada got the video developed after a couple of days. So, now we had the trip all well documented with stills and video.
We were to talk and discuss the trip for a long time to come. It was indeed one of our best outings, with almost no hitches. Well, we did prove ourselves wrong that we couldn't ever do anything together.
Till next time, good-bye!!!
Prologue
False-starters - that is what we are. A bunch of false-starters. Maybe we should name our gang that. Oh, by the way, the core gang members are Ajeya (aka PJ), Raghuram (aka Bonda aka Rama), Deepu (aka many nick-names) Shiva (aka Maddy), Varada (aka Dingri), Varun (aka Bokax) and me (aka Buss). The others are Nandan (aka Ganesha) and Vishwas (aka Child) who could not be a part of this trip.
Why are we False-starters? Simple. We may be close-knit, but when it comes to making decisions to go somewhere or do something together, we can never arrive at a consensus. The result was very clear: many failed attempts to go on trips, movies, treats, etc. But then, we had to spoil our bad record too, and God finally opened his third, fourth, whatever eyes and we somehow did go on a trip. The trip was to BR Hills, some 230 kms to the south of Bangalore. We were to stay in a jungle lodge for 2 days and a night. We set out on Jan 30th and returned on Jan 31st.
It all started with Rama calling us to Kamat canteen at Infosys and putting forth a couple of options for a week-end trip. I felt it was doomed as usual, and so I kept quiet - only to be proven wrong later. After many considerations and deliberations, we all decided for the BR Hills jungle lodge trip. The consensus was reached too easily, and obviously we all had our doubts about this possible non-starter. But as it turned out, it was one of the best fun-times we had together.
Next, we proceeded to Varun's cubicle (one of my ex-favs), called up those guys, and booked the lodge. Rama sent a mail beseeching us all to pay 460 Rs. to him. And as usual, a couple of us took that as an opportunity to needle him. Deepu and Varada then booked a cab from SRS travels for Saturday early morning (of course I didn't ask my aunt for the transportation, after the non-starter 2 weeks before that)
That night, Rama called me and asked me if I was ready to go to their office in the morning on 27th and pay the money. He had asked many others, and we all unanimously rejected the "offer". The poor guy then made a trip to the office, paid the money and then came to office by auto (Hey, we did pay for the auto fare too!) After lunch that day, we all decided who had to be picked up where. Also, we decided to pool some money, place it with the most honest person in the gang (that's me, in case you haven't guessed it yet). I was to be the official still photographer, and Ajeya the videographer. Deepu and Ajeya took responsibility of music, and Deepu promised a surprise......
So, that was it - we were all set for a rare trip together. I guess Indra, the Demigod of the travelers, was smiling upon us.
So it starts
The cab was to come near my house, from where me, Varada and Rama were to start. All of us were to get up and be ready by 5 am. I had to go and pick-up Rama from his house in Sultanpalya. So, I got up at 4;30 am, and set-out to his never-before-seen house in the biting cold, leather-jacket and all. After losing my way a million times, I finally managed to come to the place he had asked me to wait. It was in front of a theatre running a dirty movie, and I had to wait in front of a dirty poster (well, it did keep me warm though!) Finally, the doofus came there, and we set back to my house. On the way, the moron told me that he DID have an option of coming to my house by an auto, but wanted me to pick him up - some royal treatment crap.
On the way back, almost everyone called us on my cell, including the great Deepu! I was so thrilled by receiving his call that I felt I should leave my blessed cell at home. Varada was waiting at my home with the cab, steam slowly pouring from his ears. We all jumped into the cab and off we set out to Varun's house. We picked Varun and Shiva (who couldn't travel 3 kms to Varun's house to save us 10 kms) on the way, and then towards JP Nagar where we picked up Ajeya and Deepu.
The cab had some awful stink, but we didn't care much. It was another God-scent (sic) chance to needle Ajeya about his stinking socks. And his forgetfulness to get a pair of sandals was to make him pay heavily later on the trip. So, we set off from Bangalore at roughly 6 am.
I had packed some of my self-recorded cassettes, but there not a very popular choice within the gang. So, the day was saved by the Deepu-Ajeya duo. Between them, they had got some really cool gadgetry. Deepu had got a special cassette, which could be fed data from any music player and played in the cab's player, and Ajeya had got his hot iPod with its huge collection of songs. These two together made our traveling time a completely pleasant thing. Of course, it also led to fights as to who would be the jockey, and what songs to be played, with shouts all along like "Ajeya, change the song/play that song" and "What a lousy jockey".
Kanakapura
An army travels on its stomach, and with people like Rama with us, it is mostly bound to be pet-puja all the way. So, the first stop was any decent hotel in Kanakapura, a small town on the way. Deepu's vast knowledge of every place on Mother Earth was in handy here, and we decided to have breakfast at one decent looking hotel there. We had our share of dosas, idlis, pooris, more dosas, khara-bath and coffee. After everyone had finished eating the not-so-hot breakfast and burped well, we bought extra rations in the form of biscuits and gum. Sitting in the back-seat, I now had the additional responsibility of saving the meager rations from the ever-hungry Rama.
As soon as we started, Deepu started looking out for something - a liquor shop. Little did I know that these souls had planned to drink that night. Anyways, Deepu's sharp eyes didn't miss the only open bar in the town. Some of the guys jumped out and returned a bit later with two bottles of Vodka. I was naturally reluctant to pay for the same from the pooled money, but then the majority decision always rules.
As we progressed, we really needed to take a leak. So the driver stopped near a swamp. We all got out and also wasted five minutes of video footage on some non-existent duck in the mire. However, the break wasn't exactly a waste; with me and Shiva not allowing Rama have a decent leak - all well documented by another expert videographer, Varada.
On the way, we also stopped near some dam, and shot a few snaps. There were a couple of stray puppies there, but Deepu thankfully let them be. We also armed ourselves with some cool drinks at the next stop.
Soon, the driver got a bit sleepy, and requested someone to drive for some time. In came Varun, and literally took to the wheels. Our new driver wasn't spared of Rama's caustic comments though. However, Varun did a commendably good job, driving safe and well for close to an hour, while our real driver got some much-needed rest. Well, now we know that he had other career opportunities if he gets bored of being an engineer.
BR Hills
We needed to check into the lodge by 1 pm, so we had some spare time with us. We decided to visit the temple on the top of the hills before proceeding to the lodge. The cab then started a dangerous curvy path along the hill.
Just a few kms from the top, we all got off at a pretty vintage spot. The view from here was amazing. There was also a view-point-tower near the edge of the hill. We all got onto the rusty and shaky structure, praying that it wouldn't topple over. The shaky thing probably made Ajeya wet his pants, what with the way he was crying out to everyone not to shake the structure. And of course, Shiva did do the very thing, only to be inundated with his swearing.
Finally, we reached the temple. Leaving out foot-wear in the cab, we climbed the steps to the temple. Surprising, for a hot day, the weather was pretty cool. The temple was crowded a bit, so we didn't go inside. Instead, we loitered around the temple for sometime. Again, the views around the temple were breath taking. Totally covered on all sides by thick forests. Lucky Veerappan - he got to spend so much time in these forests. I guess Deepu was slowly nursing thoughts of becoming his heir and continue his legacy - but that is all classified information! He also shot some great videos of the temple, though peppered with under-the-breath swearing and loud breathing.
All set and done, we started off to the lodge. None of us knew how to reach the place, so we just prayed that we reach safely and correctly. We kept on going for too long a time, and were slowly wondering if we had got lost. But them, Indra was looking upon us, and after a long time of driving in the forest, we came to the jungle lodge - all safe and with some songs in our mouths.
Jungle Lodge
The lodge was surprisingly grand and attractive for a government undertaking. We had booked a dorm and a tent. The dorm was a long room with seven beds (wonder if it was a coincidence, just something out of Snow White). We unpacked whatever we could, but then we are not girls, so we had only light baggage with new soap and deo-sprays coming closest to any form of "cleanliness". Of course, Ajeya's socks found their way to a corner of the room, only to torture us later in the night.
We went out and saw the rest of the landscape. The lodge was simply marvelous. Very well planned with some great structures. There were many tents, one of which was ours. Also, there were many log-houses and there was the main building, the first floor of which housed our dorm. There was also a small lake, and some simple houses near-by. There was also a beautiful little school nearby, straight out of Malgudi Days.
We were served our lunch soon. The ever-hungry ones immediately fell upon the food with great lust. Wait, That was only Rama, showing off the one thing he was really good at. All in all, the food was pretty good, which is very important when you are holidaying. Also, Deepu and Shiva were doubly happy since there were also non-veg items.
After hogging ourselves as if there would be no food for the next year, we decided to roam around till 4:30, when we would be having an open-jeep safari.
Deepu and the Net-Work
After lunch, we wanted to laze out a bit. Maybe Rama's influence was affecting us after all, or maybe we were genuinely tired. But, as it turned out, we ended having fun even when we were relaxing.
There were a couple of big nets tied to trees near out tent. These were to serve as hammocks. We decided to sleep on them for sometime. But, none of us had ever used a hammock before. So, it was up to Deepu to test it for us.
The great one climbed nimbly onto the edge of the net and was all set to conquer it for us. We were all cheering him, when he celebrated a bit too early. He tried to enter the net, but in his enthusiasm, he tripped over the edge, and rolled head over heels into the net. We were also head over heels - with laughter. Shiva and Varada, who were gone for some time with their own private rendezvous, came running and joined the party. We all climbed into the nets, and rested for sometime, though most of us were trying hard to get a comfy position.
After sometime, and many positions later, we started to get off the hammock. Being software engineers, we followed the stack principle - first in is last out. So, Deepu was left alone on the net, while we were all on the ground. Then it occurred to me that Deepu's birthday bumps were long due, and we all realized that here was a perfect opportunity. So, six pairs of legs started to kick him. But the monkey that he is, he managed to escape and jumped to the ground safely. But we were not ones who give up so easily. We caught him, and the same six pairs of bumps-starved legs landed one beautiful bump after another on Deepu's rear end, till he howled in pain. There were some plans to award the same treatment to some other "quiet" members of the gang, but the plan didn't "work-out".
We then explored the lodge and the other places around, including a tree on which, surprisingly, Rama got onto first. Surprising agile for his bulk. Then, we all followed him onto the tree. After much goofing around, many snaps and a really lot of video footage later (Ajeya and Varada did most of the shooting this time), we went on a mini-trek to a small hill behind the lodge.
Mini-Trek
The trek was just a small hillock. We trudged to its foot, with Rama leading us. After climbing for a few minutes, we were almost near the top (our very own Lalbagh has a taller hill), we decided to rest for sometime on a boulder. Then, we spotted a tree that looked pretty climbable. Fresh from his tree-climbing experience, Rama decided to climb this one too. However, things were not so easy this time; the tree wasn't an easy bet. After much comical struggling due to his tight pants, a lot of pushing from Deepu, and even more jeering and shouting from the rest of us, he somehow climbed on, only to be greeted with some monkey crap on the top (I guess he did step on it, but he never did accept it)
Next, Deepu followed his mentor (not the monkey which had dirtied the place, but the other one) onto the tree. They both then gave us some Lagaan style song sequence, till we literally begged them to stop, lest we fall down laughing too hard.
Not to be left behind, Shiva, Varada and I followed them to the treetop, carefully avoiding the monkey crap though. Ajeya backed out in the last minute, and preferred being the photographer with Varun. We all had a short but nice time on the treetop, with ribald jokes and jeering poring from all quarters.
Then, it was almost time for our safari, and we set off to the lodge.
Jungle-Safari
The safari was in an open-roof jeep with the driver also doubling as our guide. We were all waiting for the jeep, and had a few biscuits and coffee. There was a Firang couple that was to come with us. Unfortunately for all of us, the woman looked uglier than the guy. Rama tried to get friendly with them, only managing to scare them away. So, we ended up having the whole jeep for ourselves.
After a few words of caution from the main in-charge, we set out. All of us expecting the entire jungle to come out and meet us, we had our cameras all set. The jeep first went on the regular road, and then turned inwards, proceeding on a real jungle trail. We went past the hutments of the Soliga tribe, about whom we had read in our schools. I think we all felt a pang of jealously seeing their simple and happy lifestyle.
To make a long but not too eventful safari short, we managed to see many types of deer and bison. We also did get to see an owl and some white monkeys. Along the trail, the driver showed us fresh tiger tracks, but no tiger! We had a break from driving when we stopped near a pond, or in jungle terms, a watering hole. We climbed onto a watchtower and waited for sometime, but not a single animal came along.
We then continued deep into the forest for some more time. Then, we are not sure whether it was the rough terrain, or the incredibly heavy mass of Rama, but our jeep had a puncture. We got down and roamed around till the driver changed the tire. It was becoming dark and late, so we started back.
We were almost near the end of the jungle trail, when bang, there were two elephants right rear the trail, must have been Veerappan's pets. The driver killed the engine, so not to excite the pachyderms, one of which was a calf. Then our luck ran out, with both the cameras dying at the same time. So, we ended up without a single shot of the elephants.
We then returned to the lodge mildly disappointed that we didn't get to see any exotic animals. Maybe we must write back to the lodge people to recount the number of deer in the jungle - Deepu had a strange look on his face when he was seeing them, and I think his mouth was already watering. I really don't want our trip to become another Salman Khan fiasco!
We were welcomed back at the lodge with come coffee, and a lot of chilly-bajjis. We were thoroughly famished, and gobbled down the bajjis in tens. We then freshened ourselves and decided to go to the tent, rather than attending the video show they were playing.
At the Tent
The lodge people were kind enough to provide us with a pack of cards for the evening. We all proceeded to the tent and started getting settled there. Once we were all smug and settled, Varun brought out the Vodka bottles and the Sprite bottle. The lodge attendant also gave a bottle of beer and some masala peanuts. The bottles were opened and liquour flowed freely amidst much cheers and my repulsion. Ajeya and I were the ones who didn't drink that night, which saw many a frontiers fall. Somewhere along the way there was a slight friction between me and Deepu, but that was forgotten fast.
Along with the drinks, we settled for a game of Bluff. The rounds went on for long with the usual shouting, taunting, allegations of cheating, etc. Finally, as expected, Rama lost the game. Varun and Varada were complaining that the expected kick from the drinks didn't come, and we were all pretty eager to provide them with kicks of a different kind!
Then we proceeded to have dinner. Again, the food was good, with Channa Masala and Palak Paneer, and for once I was just too happy. Famished from the trip and the game, we again hogged ourselves, making sure that the server was kept unusually busy serving us extra rotis.
We then returned to the tent for some more cards, but got bored soon. So, we decided to go near the camp-fire and chat.
Good-Night
The lodge people had started a fine camp-fire and we all settled around it. The chill in the air was really new to all of us, and the fire was really cozy too. We didn't have much to do till a group of marketing professionals also came near the fire. They broke the ice between us by offering some whiskey to us, which Rama and the others gulped down in seconds. Soon, we got talking with them, and we got to know each others.
Some of them sang a few songs, and goaded us to sing too. None of us were eager to sing, and finally, Rama responded with a decent recital of 'Ek din bik jaayega'. Well, at least one of us sang, bravo Infosys!
After some time, the other guys left and we had the fire to ourselves. The lodge people turn off the lights at 10:30 pm, so it was totally dark all around except for the fire. It was an eerie yet exciting feeling that overcame all of us sitting there and as usual, joking.
One of us spotted a stag that had ventured near the lodge, and Deepu started drooling again. We decided to retire for the night, before he got some crazy ideas.
We all decided to sleep in the dorm, as against the initial idea of Shiva and Varada sleeping in the tent. So, we all entered the dorm, switched to our night gear, and selected our beds.
No sooner had we all settled, than we started hearing a strange and scary noise. It wasn't long before we realized that it was Varada snoring to eternity. We wanted to plug his nose and mouth with some cotton, but decided against it. We were just getting used to his demonic snoring when another candidate started the same - Rama. The two were snoring as if in competition!
And the rest of us poor souls somehow managed to sleep despite all the inhuman torture we were being subjected to.
The Mega-Trek
We all got up at around 6 am the next morning. Shiva and Varada slipped out to the tent leaving the five of us with a single bathroom. With great difficulty, bearing many bathroom jokes and silly taunting, we somehow managed to get ready for the morning trek. We went to the tent only to see the two lazy goofs hadn't even got ready, despite having a big bathroom for themselves.
We all assembled near the entrance of the lodge, and we were told that the two Firangs were to accompany us on the trek. The poor devils, they would have to bear us all the way, and we all had our own personal share of pity of them and for us, because as I told you before, both of them were incredibly ugly.
Thus, we set out on the trek, with chief videographer Deepu leading the way.
The trek wasn't an easy bet, especially for our lazy and over-weight bodies. Very soon we all started huffing and puffing. Some over-weight people had started sweating profusely, and I was afraid he may have a heart-attack or something. Trudging wearily, no mood for jokes, occasionally begging for breaks, we seemed really pathetic. Even the Firang lady was trekking better. There were many resolutions to go back and start gymming, dieting, etc. The pick of the tired lot was Ajeya, making us laugh with tiredness jokes and deft dialogues about him being the fittest of all. If only we weren't so tired, we would have rolled on the ground with laughter.
After what seemed an eternity, we reached the top of the hill. The guide told us we may have trekked just over 2 kms, but for each of us, it seemed more like 200. I am sure every one of us was mentally resolved to go back home and get into shape.
On the top of the hill was a watch-tower. It was a great view-point from where all the surrounding hills and forests could be seen. The sun was mild and the gentle mist added to the heavenliness of the locale.
One of the strangest things that hit all of us was the amazing stillness of the place. The air was pure (despite the fact that none of us had taken a bath that day), there were no noises, and the only sounds were that of birds chirping and the trees swaying in the mild breeze. Gosh, I wish I was a poet so I could express the beauty of the place poetically.
The tower could be accessed only by a rail-ladder and climbing it was an adventure in itself (Ajeya at it again). Once on the top, we captured the scenes all around with our cameras. Then, it was time to return to the camp.
Climbing down a hill is just a fraction as difficult as climbing up. So, this time there was no sweating or numerous breaks. The guide was also showing us the many varieties of trees on the way; though I am sure none cared a hoot for all that.
We were itching to have our regular style of fun, with loud joking, shouting, etc. but the Firang lady requested us to remain silent, or so as Deepu interpreted her, and we had to restrain ourselves, what with Deepu acting as her chamcha. Soon, we were back onto the main road near the lodge.
Ajeya, Rama and I remained back and decided to have a look at the school near the lodge. It was a lovely little school, whose students trudge for over 3 kms everyday in the forest to reach it. It had just 4 classrooms and a staff room, with a small lawn and a bamboo flag-pole. Memories of Malgudi Days came rushing back to us.....
We then proceeded to the lodge where a fine breakfast was awaiting us. Tired and famished from the trek, we again gobbled down the food in a matter of minutes. Then, it was time for checking out. So we proceeded to the tent and the dorm and started getting ready.
Once we were all set, we met at the tent and argued endlessly as to where to proceed from there. We decided to first visit Nanjangud, and decide later about the rest of the journey. Then came the endless discussion about tips, how much we had spent, etc. Boy, will we ever do anything without a single argument? It will be a cold day in hell when that happens!
Nanjangud
So it was destination Nanjangud, the small temple town near Mysore. I had a personal connection with the town, since it was there my parents got married. We put our luggage in the cab and said good-bye to the lodge people, and especially to the Firang couple (who were probably celebrating our departure as the high-point of their trip!)
The driver then told us that he had himself gone on a trek the previous day evening with the others drivers, and had got to see many animals, including a tiger. We were all burning internally, since the closest we had come to seeing a tiger was the set of stupid tracks some lousy tiger had left behind.
Anyways, our stay at the lodge was done and we set out to Nanjangud. We traveled along the simple yet enchanting country-side for sometime before coming upon a coconut-water seller on the road. We all got down and had our fill of tender coconut water, the location set in a green coconut orchard. We then continued towards Nanjangud.
Arriving at Nanjangud, we removed our footwear in the cab and proceeded to the temple. Standing in a medium queue, we had our darshan pretty early, and managed to get out fast. The same could not be said about Rama and Ajeya, who got stuck in the antechamber for a long time. Well, it is true that old people need to spend more time with God.
There was an elephant calf belonging to the temple, tied in a shed nearby, and we went to see the playful creature, while waiting for the two to come out. Once they were out, we set out towards Mysore, still arguing where to go next.
But, there was an even more important decision to be taken: where to have lunch since were all naturally famished, having eaten only a "little" breakfast just a little while ago.
The driver then took us to a fancy hotel on the highway towards Mysore. We all settled at the pretty good-looking but empty hotel, and ordered our food. This time we were a bit more careful in ordering, since it was no more an unlimited buffet as were our last 3 meals.
Done with our food, all burped and all bills paid for, we decided to visit Balmuri next, and then proceed towards home. Deepu and Shiva wanted to try out some fish-delicacy there. So it was, we set out to Balmuri with great plans for swimming.
Balmuri
Arriving at Balmuri, which is a mini dam across Kaveri, we were mildly disappointed. The water level was low, and the water also appeared dirty. But those things don't inhibit psychos like us, and except for Varun and me, all the others did a mini strip-tease and got into their swimming trunks. We both decided against entering the water because we didn't have the attire, and the water didn't look too inviting.
Thus, the five entered the frigid water, and had a great deal of fun. Ajeya was shrieking like a small girl when he sat in the water. After more fooling around and photos later, they got out and entered the water on the main bund side of the dam. Unfortunately for them, Rama was the only one who knew swimming among them, and the others were forced to request him to teach them to swim (oh, how very humiliating!) Ajeya was again in his elements with his trunks bubbling up funnily, and on top of it all, he was wearing his glasses when in water.
As it was getting late, we goaded them to come out and get dry. Then we all decided to walk along the length of the dam and take a stroll around. So, we set out and reached the other end of the dam.
Suddenly, Ajeya wanted to take a leak. But, unfortunately for him, he was bare-foot and didn't want to go near the bushes. He begged me to lend him mine, but I refused, as did the others. Without no other go, and the pressure ever-increasing, he decided to go for it on the river edge itself. But, little did he realize that Shiva was cooking up a new scheme in mind. The minute he was at it, Shiva asked me to shoot Ajeya in action, which I did! Man that was one photo none of us were to forget in a long while - true paparazzi stuff! Even funnier was Ajeya's reaction when he realized what had happened. Me and Shiva were subjected to the choicest of swearing, but nothing was going to make me delete that photo. However, he did manage to delete the photo later.
As we all assembled at the cab, everyone was rolling in laughter seeing the snap. Ajeya threatened me with a million consequences if I didn't delete the photo, but of no avail. Finally, grumbling, he joined us in the cab, and we all set towards Bangalore. Our trip was a major success, worth every rupee, indeed.
Returning Back
I don't know if our driver had F1 blood in his veins, but he did drive like one of them. Driving at top speeds on the congested and freaky Mysore road, he literally had all of us on the edge of our seats. Sitting in the front seat, Ajeya and I were saying our prayers.
Sitting in the front seat with Ajeya, I got a chance to be the jockey for once. Unfortunately, his iPod batteries died soon, and we had to resort to good old Radio City.
We wanted a coffee break, and asked the driver to stop at the Kamat hotel on Mysore road. But he wasn't able to do that, and so we had to go all the way till Ramanagaram. There, we got down, and had some coffee and tea from a road-side stall.
Well, that was the end of the trip. Though tired, we were all sad that it had ended, and wanted more. There were already talks about the next one, but then, as I said before, we are famous false-starters. It may be really a long time before I get an opportunity to write another log like this.
Shiva was dropped off first, and we proceeded towards Varun's house. There, Ajeya and Deepu also got off, and were to take Varun's bike to go home. Next, Rama got off at the bus-stop and me and Varada got off near our houses, after finalizing the cab expenses. We had traveled 600 kms in all.
Epilogue
The very next day, I got the photos onto my PC and sent it across to all the others. Varada got the video developed after a couple of days. So, now we had the trip all well documented with stills and video.
We were to talk and discuss the trip for a long time to come. It was indeed one of our best outings, with almost no hitches. Well, we did prove ourselves wrong that we couldn't ever do anything together.
Till next time, good-bye!!!
And so it starts...
I always used to scoff at bloggers saying they were all just failed or wannabe writers, who have nothing better to do. But then, its not like I am always right.
So, here I am starting off my own blog.
I am not a "writer" person, but I do enjoy writing. Maybe this blogging stuff will change me a bit for the better.
So, here I go...
So, here I am starting off my own blog.
I am not a "writer" person, but I do enjoy writing. Maybe this blogging stuff will change me a bit for the better.
So, here I go...
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