Japan-Kamakura

Kamakura boasts a heritage comparable with that of Kyoto and Nara. You can experience the charm of many ancient temples and shrines, including the famous Great Buddha statue. It can be reached by train in 30min. from Yokohama.So after reaching Shiz's house in Yokohama,me and Shiz headed out to Kamakura.The huge Buddha statue was lovely and it was great to walk around all the lovely temples,cookie stores and the highlight of the while trip was the jinrikisha which is a rikshaw being pulled by a person.There are no jinrikisha's in Japan anymore and it was quite an experience to sit in the traditional mode of transport and see the historical town.

Japan-Shiz's Family-Home away from home.

One of the weekend's I went to Yokohama,thats where Shizuka stays.I started in the morning and within two hours I was in Yokohama.Shizuka was at the station waiting to pick me up.We headed straight home and met Kumi,Shiz's mom.Pretty and adorable-just like all the lovely mom's Ive met.We had a lovely lunch of miso soup-my fav and some salad and rice and beef.
After lunch we headed to Kamakura.By the time we came back from Kamakura we were quite tired so we headed home.After some lovely green tea we were quite rejuvenated to join the family for dinner.Being invited to Shiz's place had me quite excited.I hadnt been home in over a year.And just the thought of having dinner with a family was quite overwhelming.After I met her dad and her sis and bro I was missing home so bad.Her dad was sweet and we spoke about the Indian flute music that he likes and cute,sweet and shy Mi-chan spoke about kendo at school and Kazuki,Shiz's bro was quiet but when it came to music he had loads to tell.He is a DJ and was interested in Goa Psychedelic trance which even I wasnt sure about ：）.
Me and Shiz headed out for a drink and came back very late to find Kumi waiting for us.I felt quite gulity and quickly went to bed.Woke up late the next day to see that the whole family was waiting for me to wake up so that we could have breakfast together.Ouch..Guilt strikes again.
I had a great time.Love that family.That was my home away from home.
Thank you Otosan,Kumi,Mi-chan,Kazuki and Shiz.
Otosan has promise to trek Fuji san with me.Remember Otosan?
Miss you all.

Love the Japanese Yukata -



Yukata is a much simpliifed version of the Japanese Kimono.It is basically simple summer cotton kimono.Much simpler to wear and much more comfortable to walk in.
I had taken a fascination for the Yukatas and Zori（wodden chappals）while in Japan.I actually bought them with me when i came back.Havent had much ocassions to wear the Yukata except office Japanese functions but I have been using a lot of the Zori.Quite trendy I must say.Looks awesome and goes very well with any kind of dressing.They actually go "clank-clank".Though you so have to get used to the chappals before you can walk on the roads with potholes ：）

Food I ve tested ,tried and liked - Egyptian,Turkish and Tanzanian

Egyptian food was great.Loved the Falafal and Humus and egyptian bread by the river Nile in Cairo.

Turkish meal of Shish Kebap and Kashkek are unbeatable.Lots of meat but very delicious in the tiny cobbled street shop of Istanbul.Wash it all down with Raki-Turkish Spirit or Turkish Tea.Your choice.Both are as good.Tanzanian Food-Food all over Africa ia almost similar.Dip into the Ugali or cassava or rice or other dish with the three fingers of the right hand, and once you have mastered this you will find the taste of the food quite different. You discover how to "work" the stew and vegetables into a loose ball of the right texture so that you can bring it to your mouth without dripping.

Ethopian Food is a mix of African and Middle eastern food.The spicy vegetables and the kik alicha are delicious.Beef and lamb stews flavored with a rousing dark-red hot sauce, and wonderful vegetarian dishes seasoned with complex spice blends, all eaten with pieces of injera, a spongy flat bread with the enticing flavor of sourdough.

Food I ve tested ,tried and liked -Japanese

Lets talk about food.My favourite topic :)
Indian food is any day my favourite but Japanese comes a close second.I always like trying food of that country ,in that country.Coz nothing beats that authenticity.Indian food in India is unbeatable obviously.

Japanese food was the most interesting cuisine I tried.I love Sushi especially the fresh Oyster Sushi.I was a frequent visitor to the Sushi Bars in Tokyo.Ramen(Noodles in soup) was my daily dinner for about a year and I am a great fan of the same.Tempura(fried Veggies and seafood) and Nabe.Yum!Love Osaka for Okonomiyaki(large, savory pancakes made with diced seafood, meat and vegetables) and Takoyaki(Made chopped boiled octopus, pickled ginger, scallions, and rice crispies).

Natto - Stinky fermented beans which have long sticky white substannce oozing out of it and which smells of stinky socks is a hot favourite in Japan but was just not for me.

Edamame-raw green pea sods are great with beer.Raw chopped octopus with mint leaves are a great to go along with original Japanese beer and sake.

Beaten eels on sticks and packed cute bento lunches...miss em all.

I can go on endlessly about Japanese food.Love it completely.

My best form of expression-My Paintings -

I have been painting for a while.I used to do water earlier and then moved to oils.
I dont paint much in a year but I do paint whenever I feel strongly about something or somebody.I have painted when I have been very hurt ,very angry,very happy or very in love.Its the only form of expression that helps me vent out whatever is caged in me. If I am very happy all I can do is jump,smile for a while and then I dont know what to do to let that happiness come out.So I paint.And after I have painted,It just feels like my happiness is all over and all around me and I feel so contented.When I am upset or angry,its the same story,If i speak I ll speak rubbish and there is no way I can express what I am feeling to anybody and I dont expect anybody to be able to understand what and how and why about my feelings and thoughts running in my head at that point of time and so I paint.After the painting is complete,I feel like I have expressed myself the best I could and my ire just poofs away. And then there are times when I am very very hurt or very touched,overwhelmed by some feeling,overwhelmed by some person,action,thoughts.At such times,I might be able to describe what I am feeling but I feel that nobody would understand how profound the hurt or the importance of that person or relationship in my life is;and so I paint.I paint about that feeling,about that relationship,about those thoughts.I paint for that person or for that dream which/who affects me so deeply.

The paintings I have made in Bangalore are `Calm Rage` ,one of my favourites which I made when i was trying to get back to my equanimity after a terrible fit of rage.Then there is something called `Tears`,dont have to explain much about that I am sure.Then there is the optimistic `Life goes on`.
And then I have some very personal paintings,Soul Mesh,Ittaikan-this means oneness or togetherness,then there is Jim Morrison and Grateful dead.
Soul Mesh is a set of 2 paintings called `soul mesh`.Both of them together form what I wanted to depict there. I did not name them when I painted them or even after I painted them.I did not name them 6 months after I painted them.I named them last night.
Currently I am working on the biggest and most important painting I have ever made,not just in size but in thought and time.In this painting I am trying to evince my past one year and the thoughts and my relationship with the most important person in my life.Hope it turns out well.

Istanbul-


The city makes you feel like you are in one of those cities which would have had Sinbad and Aladdin.
I have to admit I am not very interested in travelling to historical places. But the moment I saw the mosques,minarets,tombs,mosaics,rugs,stained lamps…I was glad I had decided to stop by in Istanbul.
The history all around you just takes your breath away.
And if not that, then the hookah café certainly will :)

The city bustles with life on Fridays and that’s when I was there.
Checked out all the historical places on the first day by foot as the major sites are all located around Sultanhamet Square, where my hotel was.
Shopping in Istanbul was another exhilarating experience altogether. I bought hookahs and quite a few knick knacks while walking through the bazaars all day.
The rugs are awesome and most of the café’s and restaurants are covered with them. Not just the flooring but the walls also. In the evening I went out for some Turkish dinner and caught some lively Turkish dances being performed round the corner. There is belly dancing in turkey too but the style is a bit different from the Egyptian belly dancing. I couldn’t make out any difference though. The girls were as pretty and graceful but that’s what the guide told me.
Next day I went for a long 4 hour cruise on the Bosphorous Sea, which connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea via the Aegean Sea. The palaces on either side of the sea were beautiful. The bosphorous sea divides the asian and the European side of Istanbul.I checked out both and both were as amazing.
The best buy in Istanbul was definitely my black leather jacket…(eventually you just have to give in).And the craftsmen actually made my jacket in front of me. right from cutting,stiching,pasting and ironing. It took them just about 2 hours lo and behold. my jacket was done.
I spent a lot of time just walking around and enjoying the place. There were so many intriguing tiny details everywhere in the city that it’s somewhat overwhelming, but in a grand way.

Pics at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti
Folder - Turkey

Egypt -




If you're a movie lover and want to go back in time to imagine that you're in "The Maltese Falcon" or "Indiana Jones" then Cairo is for you! A sprawling buzzing mass of humanity.

I landed in cairo in the middle of the night and was woken up by the speedy cab I was in.Was staying with my dad so everything was quite peaceful.The best thing about our hotel was that the balcony opened to River Nile and you could see the whole city of Cairo.
While in Cairo ,I obviously checked out the Pyramids and the Sphinx.I had heard that the pyramids are close to the city itself but they are Bang! In the middle of the city.The pyramids ,the camels ,the sand ..everything was quite picturesque.
The bazaars of Cairo are always crowded and unless you are with somebody there is a 100% probability of getting lost.Went to some of the famous bazaars and bought some awesome Egyptian jewellery.
The roads of Cairo deserve a mention.
You just have to walk and hope. As I stand on the edge of the road and hesitate for a while, I see some locals just walk out and let the cars dodge them. My golden travel rule of "do as the locals" was put into practice. I walked out and jumped back in again. It was crazy. People just walk all over the road and don't really look where they are going or what the traffic is doing. My golden travel rule of "do as the locals" was regressed.

The citadel,the museum ,the cairo tower are all good places to sightsee.The scene stealer was lovely cruise dinner on nile with traditional Egyptian music and yes of course!belly dancing.Guys! you gotta check it out.
I also went to another old city of Egypt,called Alexandria.Its by the coast of Meditteranean sea and has an amazing view.The food obviously is great.
Egypt is certainly one of those places that is so different to anything I have ever experienced before and am so happy I did it.

Pics at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti
Folder - Egypt

African Adventure-
Safari –


Headed for the “game drive" after the Trek.Honestly, the Safari’s were quite tough bcoz of the heat and the dust, but rewarding and quite full of action. I had the luxury of a private Safari and therefore enjoyed it thoroughly.At Arusha, I started in the afternoon and the game drive went on till late evening. Drove around all day through the jungle, vast grasslands, mountains, lakes and lots of animals.The jungle, the breeze and the sunset made this an extremely pleasurable experience. Felt like right out of “The Lion King”.
In the other Safari’s, I didn't see a lot I hadn't seen before, and the drive was terminated by a typically huge thunderstorm. The dawn drive the next morning made up for it, with a misty sunrise and lots of animals to see. The game drive went on for hours and you are not allowed to get down of the jeep at all…I mean AT ALL…..
It is amazing how much control you can exercise over your bladder in such circumstances.Another long drive, but this time through the Western corridor of the Serengeti into the central portion. This was interesting but to be frank the Serengeti is so big there is not a lot of game to be seen. However the wide open spaces were worth the trip. The next day proved incident packed. Now the roads in the Jungles are dirt roads full of craters and potholes etc, and it had rained bucket-loads the night before. Suffice to say I was entertained by some great shows of "truck surfing" on several occasions. Amazingly we didn't get stuck.Sometime before lunch I rolled up to the visitors centre. The paved walkway had been closed as they had seen lions there early that morning. We were driving around when my guide, Aiesac hushes up and goes” Elephants”…Elephants?? Where?? “Right in front of u”… Where????
And then suddenly I saw huge elephant walk through the bushes.
To cut a long story short, this gave me a real feel for just how close a large animal can get without being seen.On the way out of the park I passed through the migration of Wildebeest and Zebra, which was extremely impressive. We drove for 20km through wildebeest as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road. The long afternoon drive up to the Crater was spectacular, through high mountains and scenic Masai villages (some no doubt real, some no doubt positioned for the tourists). Mist rolled down the crater walls forming cadaverous fingers in the ravines. The whole thing looked a lot like Scotland, but with lions and elephants. Later that day, I went to one of the local households and had a taste of homemade African beer (fermented bananas and some more ingredients).It stinks like crazy and has this thick layer of sawdust like substance which I tried real hard to blow away before I drank but in vain. The taste was not bad; it was rather good considering the stench.
My wild dusty sweaty Safari ended with a pleasant night in a comfortable hotel not very far from the national parks.
During the Safari, there were so many times when I wanted to stop and play in the dirt, find out exactly how rough the skin of the cattle is, see up close the giant termite mounds that i've already seen a hundred times from this distance - only on the tv and internet.
I must mention that I was completely taken in by the grace with which a Giraffe runs. I saw lots and lots of them and every time they could hear a vehicle they would run….not sprint with dust clouds. not run with speed..but just float in slow motion and before u know they are gone. Trust me …its not the slow motion button being pushed on discovery ,these lovely creatures actually move like that.
The Safari’s were probably one of the highlights of the trip, and I was happy just sitting on top of the vehicle taking in the scenery, although I also saw a fair old bit of game.

Pics at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti
Folder - Tanzania

African Adventure-
The Kilimanjaro Trek


At the end of january i set off on the most awesome adventure i've ever undertaken.Tanzania Egypt Turkey
Its been quite some time since I came back .Work has been crazy and finally I get time to write to all of you …The whole trip was way too cool to be put up in one blog and thats why I am gonna send 3 blogs.(I can see Adarsh worried :)Trust me guys ,I need to do full justice to all the places.
First comes-Africa>>Tanzania>>Dar es SalaamI reached there after a grueling long flight from Delhi.The place is usual…any other city .What makes the city wonderful is the lovely Indian Ocean Coast. Ah!thats where I got my african hairdo with at least 30 braids all over my head.To top it all all the braids had colorful beads.The hairdo is fun..u can swing around and all the braids swing with u.

Africa>>Tanzania>>KiliI had plans to climb kilimanjaro, the world's highest free standing mountain at a daunting 5895m and the whole trek takes about grueling 7-9 days of trek.you wouldn't do this kind of thing for fun (i mean you might, but i wouldn't).I opted for a 3 day trek upto a few bases.There are five main routes to the top -- Marangu, Shira, Mweka, Umbwe and Machame. The most popular route is the Marangu Route which starts at the Marangu Gate at 6000 ft. and has huts and facilities along the way. Regardless of the route taken, the vistas are magnificent and the flora and fauna of the different life zones are fascinating. Rain forests give way to moorlands and alpine meadows until these, too, give way to an alpine desert where lichens cling tenuously to rocks. The landscape, though desolate, is hauntingly beautiful as you walk among the clouds.
First Day -After breakfast we drove upto Marangu Gate (1 860 m). The route passes through tangled rain forest to the Mandara Hut at 2 752 m, close to the Maundi Crater. The climb is reasonably easy although the path is sometimes slippery.The drive till the Marangu gate is also quite fascinating, on the right side of the car you can see the horizon stretching upwards into the clouds, then on the left of the car it pokes back down again, a worryingly far distance from where it began. THIS is kilimanjaro and I couldn't even see it because it's so damn big. The climb started with a dirt road, which is dissapointing when you want to be in the wild away from all of civilization, but it soon becomes less of a road and more of a well worn path. it's pretty much rainforest all day. All around there are these all kinds of ferns and trees and palms. i'm hoping the photos will speak for themselves because there's no way i can describe the density and wonder of the rainforest to my satisfaction.In the beginning,every other group I had met had over taken us(me and my guide). i suspect that "poley poley" is said more as a joke by these guys, but we're determined to stick to it. and what's the rush anyway? it's not like there was endless fun to be had at the camp. i was starving though, and visiting the toilet shed was something of an adventure. I reach the camp.Nice and comfortable.My legs were hurting a lil but I was still confident, actually I was dreading the night. The moment the sun fell it was instantly freezing. it caught me off guard and each night it was only going to get colder. we huddled in the mess tent and ate popcorn. By this point i'd already removed my glasses, i figured i'd do it early so as not to forget or lose it.
But what a mistake, as I file out of tent after dinner I was greeted by the fullest night sky you could ever see. the milky way has torn a gash in the sky from horizon to horizon. it pours across and you can see right into its depths. amongst the millions of stars above me.I couldnt even spot a single constellation that i could recognise (not helped by this being the southern hemisphere and a completely different sky :)), there were just too many stars. it makes me completely forget how cold i am, and after standing still for a few too many minutes i'm more than happy to get into the sleeping bag that i'd previously been terrified of. it's cramped and halfway into space i'm still too cold in it (something i' was sure i'll appreciate after I hit 35 degrees of dare es salaam later).getting up in the morning it remained freezing until the sun finally appeared from behind the mountain. for breakfast our cutlery was so cold i had to wear my gloves to hold my fork. i'm wondering why they bring metal cutlery and china plates up the mountain when i'd honestly prefer lighter plastic ones.between then and and the next camp it was a constant uphill. It was steep and hard route but also a rewarding one. whenever you turn around all you can see is a sea of billowing clouds fading slowly into the sky. the world has disappeared completely. the only trace of it remaining is mt. meru, visible in the distant distance, like a volcanic iceberg.ahead of me, the trees are black, gnarly and very much dead. our guide explains to us that they're all burnt, demonstrating by pulling one of them out of the ground. a fire tore up this part of the mountain in early 1999. it took a huge team of local people to put the blaze out, and much of the vegetation was lost. as a grey cloud passes right through us it makes for the gloomiest scene. I was quite tired and out of breath by afternoon.it turns out all i had to do was take it easy. "poley poley" really does mean slowly.The first day of trek i heard the most terrifying noise. it was a deep gutteral rumble and i swear i could feel the ground vibrate with it. It was rolling and never ending. deep down i knew it's thunder, but the fear said Elephants marching right at you Preeti…ruuunnn!! I just stood and waited for some huge elephants to show up from amongst the bushes and trample me …and then our guide goes….oh that’s just the wind….Yea rite!!Relief!! what was scared anyway?:)
The final part of the trek was easily my favourite - climbing up along a sharp walkway, the rainforest floor far below us on either side. the views into it were just incredible. The tops of a hundred different plants and trees floating amongst the clouds.
Pics at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti
Folder - Tanzania

New Years Eve at Tusker Valley - Dec 31st 2005

Hey Everybody,
Long time since I called or mailed anybody.
The excuse is usual - work :)
Well,I am sure all of us had some great experiences over the new year's eve.
This is mine.

I had a good weekend..a good new year's eve. Really, no sarcasm implied.
One of my friends asked me if I wanted to accompany him to some place close to Ooty and I jumped at the offer.Me,my friend and his dog were suppossed to go together so I guesed we are gonna be driving there.After a late friday night,I woke up early and reached his place promptly on time.Goofy,the dog was going with another friend in his jeep and I was suppossed to be riding with my friend.But as I had forgotten to get my helmet,I sat in the jeep with goofy.The drive after that was nonstop for about 2-3 hours.I was trying to sleep but it was getting difficult for goofy to be comfortable.
The space was just not enough.I moved to the far end and squeezed myself against the door.The space was still not enough.I put his front paws on me so that his body can strectch out in the rest of the space but The space was NOT enough.Anyways,me and goofy somehow got ourselves as comfortable as we could in that backseat and slept off.Its amazing how much he has grown in the past 2 -3 months.We stopped next at a petrol bunk in Mysore and Goofy was ecstatic to see my friend.
So much so that he put his head out of the window and put his paws on the window switch.As the window was rolling up and choking Goofy and he was pressing harder at the switch.I noticed him whining and turned to see him almost frantic with the window pressing against his neck.Pushed his paws away and rolled the window down.Whuf!!
That was scary.
But wait...there is still more to come.

My friend and a few other boys were riding along with our jeep.
As usual I slept off.(I know thats not new for most of my friend's who have been reading my blogs.:)
The drive was long and it was getting hotter.
Driving in the forest.Bang!!Wakey wakey Preeti.Our car had hit the car in front.
Our Jeep's front was damaged and it took the boys a good 1 hour to fix it.
Back on the road and all I could see was lush green mountains.
And suddenly,I saw a tiny red house bang in the middle of one of the mountains.
No trails no roads no clearing.All I could see was that tiny red house.
And guess what...that was where we were all going.
Before I could ask anybody about the roads or trails to that place,our jeep took a sharp turn into the jungle.
When I say,into the jungle,I literally mean,,,,right INTO the jungle!
There was this faint trail downhil...steep as hell..and we were sliding on it.
Me and Goofy clinging on to each other.
Then suddenly uphill..as steep as it could be.
Wonder how these guys rode their bikes up.
After finally reaching that place.....it took a while to get out of my dizziness to see the place.
It was breathtaking.Beautiful.
Sat and watched the sunset.
And then there was some nice food and booze and quite a few means to keep up the spirits.Became quite chilly in the night.
Was too smashed after a while to feel the chill.If u wanna know what I was really feeling....well.....floating spinning.drifting rambling swaning.......something like that.... :)
Crashed in one of the tents.
Next morning most of us started back but few people stayed back including my friend and goofy.
Missed goofy so much :(
My friend was not with me even while we were going to that place,but the fact that he was somewhere around on his bike was quite comforting.
Without him and Goofy,the drive back was not fun at all.

In any case,had a great time.
Hope everyone else had an equally stellar time!
Pics at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti
Folder - New Year's eve at TuskerValley2006-01-03

BTW,we recently had a great party at work.The best I have ever had with Infy folks.
Pics at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti
Folder - Infy Bonenkai 2005-12-27
(Tink's..thats your guitar..Thx dude.)

Coorg Trip

We started driving to coorg in the afternoon.was quite sunny..took a few stops…..by the time it was 5 or 6 in the evening…it had turned cloudy and inexplicably beautiful……..followed by showers….Reached coorg in the night………picked some food and booze and shambhuJDrove to this village…..couldnt find the hut as it was pitch dark………torches helped…..The sky was all lit with zillion stars and the breeze was awesome…we lit a campfire and cooked some chicken skewed in a jack handle…We played some music in the car..sat by the fire and ate and talked ..i didn’t do much of talking………I had friends talking about dimensions of thought..(wouuuu!!!…I know…that was my reaction exactly…) Once the music died off….all we could hear was the buzz of the mosquitoes and bugs and the breeze rustling through the leaves…I was lying with my back on the ground..and gazing at the sky….the moment was enough to get me and keep me high; ofcourse it's another matter that other sources of 'High' were welcome and were available in plenty.Its something so indescribable ,about the 'Nature' experience. - it was a sight to remember and sounds that my eardrums will quite never forgive me for. You just get that picture plastered onto your retina and the essence of that moment rings in your sinews and doesn't leave you for a few days. But I must mention that the music we had that evening was awesome and must thank “the president“for that extremely good music..though I hadn’t heard most of it…it was perfect.the place..the mood….and the music…cannot describe what I ( or anyone there , for that matter) felt like when our presidanto played dream theatre and jim morrison !! The evening started elegantly, and blew us away into unknown oblivion!! We all slept in the open, under the sky- oh!! perfecto!! Didn’t do much on the next day……..i woke up early..took a few pics..which you can check out at…Coorg folder at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreetiTook a shower..must mention about the shower place…there is no room…its just a patch in the green with jute bags and plastic sheets forming a tent kinda thing ..but the sunlight streams in and ur feet is on soft wet mud and cold water falling over u……..quite an experience……All day long just lounged around ….i tried my hand at sawing wood J and was quite good at it………presidanto was trying to meditate all day long with constant snoring……K lo and me were belting besan ladoos and chikkis..for that matter anything edible.A Lo was totally peaced out.Read some calvin&hobbes and laughed our hearts out………climbed the tree(well! It was quite a feat for me.)………had a campfire and slept early…The drive back was quite exciting with a flat tyre,nail biting(or should I say nail-cutting )experiences J

Jaunt Down Kerela and Pondy




So,my latest venture was Waynad,Kerela and Pondicherry.Had been planning for quite some time to head out and the work was killing.So I checked up with my friend about a place in Waynad and took off.Had never been to Kerela and the expectations were high.This was the first time I was travelling alone in India so the jitters were also high.Anyways,took a bus to Tellacherry from Majestic at 9 in the night.The driver must ve been in a huge rush or must have been drunk,in all probability the latter.Coz,the bus just sped like crazy all night long.I couldn’t sleep coz the roads were bad and our man didn’t bother about it much with his foot on the accelerator.Reached Tellacherry at about 6 in the morning.It was all planned,all sorted out.Bus to Tellacheery.Then Tellacherry to Mananthwadi and get down at Periya on the way.But then,my first trip alone,topped with jitters,topped with Malayalam illa,Kannada illa and no freakin’ south Indian language on my tongue.I had the most pleasant surprises of all…..Bus strike madam.Lovely!There was one bus going somewhere and I just hopped in it.It was supposedly going to my destination but with a different route.I slept and woke up after 2.5hrs at some vague bus stop.No buses again so sat in a jeep.Looked quite comfortable.4 people at the back and me and driver in the front.We headed out of the bus stop but stopped at a million places within a stretch of 10 meters.By the end of it ,we had 7 people at the back and 5 in the front.Driver,old guy,another guy and another one.Well,if you are looking for me,I was somewhere sandwiched between the driver and oldie.Now,THAT is something you shouldnt ask me about.Thankfully,Periya was not too far and I got down.
It was raining and smart Preeti took out her umbrella.(I had bought an umbrella specifically for the trip…impressed ,aren’t u?) I had to go to Gurukula Botanical Sanctury and the 3 kilometer walk till there was an amazing rush. I just knew it was going to be one of those walks I would never forget. With all the people,buses,roads left behind…Just walking along the lush green mountains,smelling the freah air in the drizzle was inexplicable.Walked along the mountains,then walked up the mountains,then walked along the tea garden,walked in the slush,walked in the leeches.Finally reached the place.Gurukula is a huge botanical sanctuary where a family and a few friends live.Amazing place and amazing dogs!Was greeted by 6 HUGE dogs charging at me.I’m sure my screams could ve been heard till the road,down the hill.Met the family.Had some food and slept in a small wodden cabin.Woke up to the pitter patter of the rain.Went out,had some food again.Checked out all the species of plants and ferns preserved there.Couldnt go deeper in the forest due to the rains and the leeches.The highly affectionate leeches were sticking to the wound on my toe and it wasn’t the most pleasant of sights to write about.Well,brave me,ignored the leeches and went down to the paddy fields.It was good fun,getting into the knee deep slush,barefoot and digging the earth.All I got was mud in my hands,face and everywhere possible.I splashed some mud by mistake on the farmer next to me but he was sweet enough to smile back.After the paddy session,we headed back to the rooms and I had a grueling undergo with the leeches all over me.After I was rid of em ,I took my time reading a book and having some tea.Helped in cooking the dinner and hogged like a pig.There is no electricity there so we had torches to go to the loos which are quite a distance from the rooms.As if I wasn’t freaked out enough about the leeches,dogs,loo too far that when I enter my room,I am greeted by a lovely HUGE BLACK spider sitting right in the middle of the room.I crept to my bed and kept an eye on the spider for hours;didn’t want it climbing over my bed.Donno when I dozed off.Was woken up in the morning as I had to catch the bus back to Bangalore.Had some lovely coin parathas and curry for breakfast.Got into a ready-to-fall-apart bus and swayed my way till mysore.Got into a much more comfortable bus at mysore and headed to Bangalore.Reached Bangalore at 5 or so.Called up all my friends asking if they would want to join in for my pondy trip.Got tickets for pondy and the same evening I was in a bus to Pondy,all excited about seeing the ashram and the beach at last.Reached pondy the next morning.Went to the ashram area and looked for a place to stay.It was quite difficult as everything was booked due to the long weekend.Got a room,crashed for a while,got fresh and headed out to ashram.Walked around the ashram area,checked out some books,walked around the beach and was quite hungry and tanned.The place was burning.It was almost 35degrees.Anyways,had a nice long lunch and crashed out after that till late evening.Woke up and went again for a walk looking for a place to have good dinner.But then again,all the places were quite full.We had almost lost hopes when one sweet old watchman told us of a new eatery.we headed there and had a huge dinner.Next day we checked out in the morning itself,and went to a chettinad place for lunch.wasnt too impressive.Bought some candles and incense from the ashram store and then headed to a so called boathouse.It was a horrible place and the sun was killing ,so headed back and sat at a restaurant till it was time for our bus.Got into a comfy bus and were in Bangalore by next morning.Nothing much to say about the Pondy city but the ashram area with all the white colonial houses and beautiful roads is quite pretty.Also,I must mention the numerous antique furniture outlets there.Quite interesting.I took an instant liking for a Grandpa's clock and it wasnt too expensive either but then...didnt buy it.Maybe Next time.Was quite a trip.Next destination – Goa (Yipeeeeee!! Tatoosss. Here I come..)

Goa...Goan...Gone

Why would anyone want to visit Goa, the ultimate beach destination in India, during the middle of the monsoons? I'm sure a lot of people will be asking that when I tell them that Shizuka and I visited there 2 weeks back. But, around these parts, going to Goa at this time of year is one the best kept secrets. There are a number of air and hotel packages, the tourists are gone, and the rains revive the foliage to a lush green.
Last weekend was our first time to Goa. The small state, which lies at the tip of Maharashtra and borders Karnataka, is approximately one hour by plane from Bangalore. So, I took a train from Bangalore as I hadn’t traveled in a train in about 8 years or so.The inexperience evidenced with me not even knowing if my ticket says boarding Chennai or boarding Bangalore.Anyways with a lot of confusion,calls to the agent ,speaking to the TT ,I finally got my berth.Slept through the night and sat by the door all day from 6 in the morning till 4.The train was as usual 3 hours late and my friend had already reached Goa. She had reached at 7 in the morning and I had at least a zillion calls from her. Although this was her 4th time traveling in India,this was the first time she was traveling alone.
I reached the station and quickly took a taxi and reached the hotel at Baga.It was unbelievably rainy in Bangalore, so I was a bit worried that it might be pouring in Goa too. But I arrived in an overcast, but surprisingly bright Goa. It may have been monsoon time, but it already felt like a beach vacation.With minimal knowledge of English,I was quite amazed at the hotel she has found for us.It was an amazing bargain.We had a decent room and the food was also quite nice.

The seas are quite turbulent during the rainy season, nevertheless we had opted to stay at a guesthouse about five minutes from the Baga beach. Our inn abutted the Goan beach, which provided the needed tranquil backdrop. The rains were absolutely beautiful, as long as I didn't have to get caught under them. It rained twice while we were there. Once late at night which was perfect as we were sipping on sake in the balcony and our perch was also perfect for watching the rains, which would start up without warning - like garden sprinklers on a timer - last for 30 seconds to five minutes, then stop. Another time it rained like crazy while we were at the beach. It was awesome with the sun setting, slight drizzle, we took cover in a shack and had some hot and nice masala chai.
Our first evening in Goa was devoted to food and spirits. Went to the beach and then went to calangute for some huge platters of seafood and made the most of the bounty of the sea, with shrimp, lobster, and freshwater fish figuring prominently in our meal. When in Goa, Shizuka and I were determined to check out the local food in its natural setting. However, the monsoons were going to make it a little difficult for us. First of all, many restaurants and beach-side food shacks close during the rainy season. Secondly, the threat of heavy rains discourages fisherman from venturing out to sea, thus leading to pricier fish and more seafood caught in shallow, murkier waters. So, we would have to be resourceful yet choosy. After living in India , one learns to be flexible.

Sunday’s itinerary included going to the beach. We went there right at 9 or so and were there till late evening. Went around a markets for a while and went to titos for dinner and dancing. Came back and crashed.
Monday, we decided to go to Anjuna beach. We took a taxi till there and we were ecstatic when we reached coz there was not a single soul there. We lazed around till late afternoon until our skin started throwing up some danger sirens and we realized we were both badly sunburnt.Took a taxi back to the hotel and hogged on goan fish curry and pork vindaloo’s at the hotel. Evening was walking around the markets again.Didnt shop much. Dinner was beautiful at a shack right at the beach.Gorged on the local lobster,king prawns and typical Goan delicacies like chicken rechado ,xacuti or pork vindaloo and sorpotel.And be warned if you decide to sample teh local brew of cashew @Feni@-its strong aroma and taste is definitely not for the faint of heart(including me). Of course, there are plenty of good excuses to go back, not the least of which is the incredible Goan food.
Our last mission, before we flew out of Goa on Tuesday afternoon, was to return to Calangute market to purchase some Goan Fenny,port wine and bebinca.
Goan food left definite memories on my tastebuds, so I hope I can get back there soon to try out all the other local fare that I might have missed.
Viva Goa!
http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti

Fishing Bout

Just got back from another Fishing bout. The novelty is starting to wear off a bit, now that I've been on 2 of them in the past 2 months, but something new and different seems to happen on each one. This time it was figuring out a lake/pond/river to fish :-)

It was a friday and I had decided to work from home as I had been working too hard during the week.....waking up at 5:30.reaching office at 6:00.working till 12 midnight.never worked so hard even for my tests in school or college.
Anyways,on friday afternoon I decide to join in some friends who were going fishing.I asked them where we were going and they said "Madivala Lake"...i obviously took it as a joke(Bangaloreans would know why....C',mon..i didnt even know that there was a Madivala lake somewhere and even if there was one,i was so sure there wont be any fishes....)we reach madivala lake and to my surprise..there really is a proper madivala lake with ex-forest rangers suppossedly taking care of it.....they started off with all sorts of rules and regulations about fishing not allowed in the lake...the special permissions required.......But then,the moment my friend Andrew who is english walks in and tells them that he is on a holiday and wants to fish..they all agree..(Yeah right Andrew!...holidaying and fishing in bangalore!! we believe you.)
We decided to go to the other end where there was less weed....drove around the lake some 2-3 times but then gave up as we couldnt find the other damn end of the lake.......
We decided to head to some other lake......
Some valable inputs from Prem and we decided to go to baneghatta national park which again is suppossed to have good lakes for fishing......
i slept off during the drive as usual and woke up to find myself in the middle of a jungle..
we didnt find any lakes in bannerghatta......
so took the road to kanakpura......
found a few lakes but none fit for fishing......
stopped by at one lake which had loads of fishes and pelicans!..can u believe it pelicans in bangalore !!! That too by a lake...!!!
anyways...we waited there but the heat was really bad and no shade whatsoever...so we decided to go to a friend's farm...
We had gone there fishing once before....
we go there....dig for earthworms.......and hit the lake...
sat there for about 4 to 5 hours ....
Everybody else was fishing while i just made a sand castle and took some snaps.....http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti
They were all out there with their fishing rods, working around the science to do their darndest to catch us some nice meals.
Anyway, we didn't catch very many fishes.
Final count: 7. Clearly the hook and line method isn't going to net 200 fish in a 1-day trip. So that's where I'd been on Friday. Final note on the cruise: I developed an addiction to potato chips. Had to drive on without any lunch,so all kinds of snack foods on board, which means lots of munching goes on around the clock, and I settled on the potato chips. On the grocery run I just did an hour ago, I bought myself a huge bag of them. Potato chips sure are fun.

Bandipur Trek,Coorg Honey Valley and Waynad Toddi.

All in all ..it was Awesome and HOT!
Still struggling to get the tan off :)

Shall keep it short and simple.
Before I start with this lemme tell you that I cant write much about the drive to reach any place as was sleeping all throughout ....

The drive to bandipur - Slept
Recahed and trekked.
Trekked with floaters for the first time....not that bad.....
Trekked through 5 kms or so......Had an upfront close and personal experience with a wild elephant mom and a baby elephant(I havent taken any pictures of them as I didnt want to miss any moment of that super cool experience.But the proffesional photograher gang with me were quite daring and have taken quite a few snaps which are at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti)
Sat in the scorching sun for about an hour, waiting for the jungle experts to explore the danger zone and get back....

Drive to coorg Honey valley after the trek - Slept
Had some lovely fish fry on the way..Yum!
The drive to honey valley was awesome.........
Very good place....
Couldnt get any honey though:(
The night was awesome with the stars shining bright and
everybody trying to figure out which star was the north star :) (Does that ring a bell Coorg gang? esp K Lo?)


Next Morning- Drive to Waynad - Slept(obviously)
All in all the target of the mission was to get Toddi....
Reached....
Endless swigs of Toddi...

Drive back to bangalore - Slept again......

Me getting out of bangalore a lot lately.......
Gotta find the bearing and discover the soul sometime.....right?
wouu...sounds too profound but trust me guys....take some time off and get out..........nothing beats it........
This especially goes to all my hard working frens at Infy who are slogging their a** off........

Bike Expedition




Was all groggy about 2 hours before the show was set to begin. I was going with a college friend of mine...we were running late and had we not rushed we would have been left out.Parked my a** on his bike promptly and I demanded that we reach SOOOOON !!! He had one look at my near-hysterical stance and (wisely) decided to reach the meeting spot ASAP. Reached old madras road.couldnt miss the big gang of royal enfield bikers.Joined them and roll baby roll…..wow………….dont even ask how good it was…..26 bikes thumping on the road……..nothing beats a royal enfield for sure…………was quite a sight…..Well, amid roving eyes and rolling heads we made our way to Horsley hills. The place was not that great but the ride would beat anything anyday…….Awesome fields….coconut trees…..hills……and the breeze hitting your whole body…………I wanted to take the helmet off but that was one of the very strict rules……helmet on at all times…One thing that really struck me was that things were so streamlined and orderly and safe.In the beginning I was feeling a lil uncomfortable with the helmet and the way the bike was moving but then became used to it and was sitting on the bike with a big grin and my arms stretched out, feeling the wind hit my skin…………Reached after 3 hours or so…..took a few breaks on the way…there were already 30-40 madras bulls (Chennai bikers club) there….The place, Horsley hills wasnt too much to write about.. Maybe because I enjoyed the ride way too much..I reached..got the room and crashed as hadn’t been able to catch much sleep the night before….Woke up ..got out of the room…and wow!!! What a sight it was…..some 70 royal Enfields lined up …….By the end of the evening there were about 80 bikes from Chennai and Bangalore…………Must admit all the bikers were very good…They're an extremely talented bunch of guys. Got to know that some of them have around 6 to 7 bikes and few have 10 to 12 bikes….and they keep upgrading the bikes with all sorta gadgets and techniques…. ….was quite interesting…and most of them have the full biking gear ,jackets with spinal cord padding..elbow padding…helmets with phone space and ...this and that..felt like a zany with no knowledge whatsoever about these things….In the evening,the guys set out with cutting cakes for madras bulls(it was a celebration of their third anniversary) and then alcohol and music…Most of them had been in the clubs for more than 2 years….had been on rides to kerela,ladakh,north east and all sorts of places….Heard quite a few interesting stories……Must mention about the seen-never-before, super cool male bonding…….they were all buddies…shaking hands ..yelling abuses..hugging..kicking..drinking..cracking jokes only they could understand… dancing like crazy…….Watching all this was quite entertaining for me thoughNext morning…….woke up. walked around a bit..took a few pics (Biking Expedition Folder at http://photos.yahoo.com/onlyiampreeti)and then time to get on the bike…..was so looking forward to it…The bikes started….synchronously beating up the rhythm…sometimes they kinda drummed alternately, like a contest , and finally it would reached a crescendo when there would be a long empty stretch of road and everybody would change gears and accelerate incredibly fast, Blasted the living hell outta me!!