Kashmir Great Lakes Trek - A Life changing experience !!

This trek was an outcome of a small change in plans. I had initially planned to do a Ladakh Bike trip this July but had to last min look out for other options as I would be joining a new company immediately after the trip. The dates were an issue with the Ladakh Trip.

And so my search began for good trekking spots in Himalayas - something that I was longing for. I came across this Kashmir Great Lakes Trek on Trek The Himalayas website and found it to be serene and very beautiful. After a few inquiries, I booked my slot for 13th July along with the Air tickets to Srinagar. My last day of work @ USL was 9th July. I was all set for my dream trek in the Himalayas.

Day 0 - Mumbai - Srinagar - Gagangir

I landed @ Srinagar around 1.30 in the afternoon. I was told to contact Javed (our Cab driver) who would pick us up from the Airport. Along with me, I had two more guys (from Bangalore) who would be a part of the trek - Som & Muthu. Once all of us got together, our drive started off from Srinagar to Sonamarg (our base village where we would be taking a night halt)

On the way, at every corner of the street were CRPF jawans (Soldiers) posted. I got a feeling that this place was not so clam as it looked. My feeling turned into reality when ahead there was a road block. Apparently, the locals had blocked the road due to a robbery that had taken place that morning. The robbers were 2 policemen and the locals demanded them to be brought in public and beaten up. There were people running around, policemen with guns in their hand, the head of the police trying to negotiate with the locals but to no vain. Our driver told us to remain seated in our cab while he went at the scene to assess the situation. Suddenly, we heard gun shots being fired and our driver came running and said 'Raasta khul jayega, jaldi gaadi nikalte hai'. I just told him to ensure we do not get stuck right at the place where the gun shots were being fired and this is what happened.

Our cab got stuck at the exact spot from where tear gases were being fired. After a few mins of experiencing the tear gas effect first hand, we got out from there. Apparently, Javed told us that stone pelting is a common phenomena where locals block roads and hit stones on any vehicle that crosses that path. Ahead, I could see a lot of stones lying on the road which indicated it had happened recently. Finally, after the adventure, we managed to reach our base camp - Gagangir. The tent was already in set up. We took a stroll nearby between the pine trees, all three of us excited and waiting for the next day to start our trek. The place was so beautiful, however all of us were saving our batteries because the trek had not yet begun and there was already so much to see.

Day 1: Sonamarg (7800 ft) - Nichnai (11500 ft) via Shekdur

It was Trek day and all three of us excited as ever were ready @ 8 am to leave. Just go to know, we would have to wait for a make shift local guide as out Trek leader Dinesh was going to accompany another group of 20 people coming the next day. Our trek started off @ 11.15 am from Sonamarg. Guide - Rashid Bhai and a helper/cook - Nazir (who also took care of 2 mules on which our camping stuffs were carried)

All three of us set to explore Himalayas. The place was beautiful and heavenly. It felt as if such a place could never exist on Earth. In just 15 mins, we entered vast lush green meadows with horses grazing, we could see shepherds and their flock of sheeps. The view was beautiful and out of the world.

A serene view just 10 mins into our trek. Gave us an idea of what was going to come ahead :)

We then came across a check post where the Jawan (Rohit) took our entries. He told us, there was another group (2 from bangalore and 1 from Mumbai) who had crossed early morning. We later happened to meet them on the 3rd day.

The Soldier (Rohit) who was posted @ Sonamarg check post

There was a long painful climb of 4 hours which seemed to be never ending. Between pine trees, we took short breaks and managed to cover the desired distance. Som got an AMS attack during this climb (Acute Mountain Sickness) Symtoms - Breathlessness, Dizzyness and one tends to go blank - doesn't know what he is doing. Solution - Decend at the earliest. All of us were desperate to reach our tents - it was our only mission then.

Out Camp site - Day 1 (Nichnai)

Our tenting spot was beautiful with a stream flowing beside it. Once we reached our tents, we came to know that the organizers had not given is the "Stove pump" and Nazir (our helper/cook) would have to go all the way back to get it. Yes, he had to else we wouldn't survive the next 6 days. He left to get to stove pump and would return early morning. Our local guide didn't know how to set up a Tent. Muthu, Som and I managed to do it with instructions printed on the cover. Nazir had arranged for food from a Shepherd's house which we ate religiously. Som wasn't in a condition to eat. He was out. After the first day, our legs were so tired - all of us had 1 question in mind.. How will be survive the next 6 long days???? With this, we got into our sleeping bags (we named it Python - as it looked like one) and dozed off hoping all of us would be alright the next morning.

 Day 2: Nichnai (11500 ft) - Vishansar (12000 ft)

Luckily all of us got up fresh.. with tired legs but feeling good that our head aches and body aches had disappeared. Once Nazir was back, we started our 2nd day where our guide told us to walk ahead and he would follow us after packing all the camping stuff. Immediately there was a river crossing. I did not want to risk getting my shoes wet, so I removed them and crossed the river. The water was ice cold and you could feel it prick right into your bones. I took a 'feet warming' break for 5 mins post that crossing. Muthu & Som managed to cross it with their shoes on.

Again, there was a long climb. We were climbing the 2nd highest peak in our trek (Nichnai pass / Vishansar pass) - 13500 ft. It was a breadth taking view - literally. I lost my breadth here. Got an AMS attack - dizziness and all black out. Unable to take even few steps - and looking ahead I knew I would not make it to the top. With the weight of the huge bag on my shoulders, my body was giving up. I was taking short breaks to get my breadth back every 2 mins. Came across a stream where I filled my bottle, mixed electral and drank it. Slowly, very slowly I managed to climb and finally made it to the top. My heart was beating at the fastest rate possible. The view was mesmerizing. I managed to click a few pics in that condition and we started descending. This was the first spot where we encountered snow. Muthu's dream of "Kashmir aaye aur snow nahi dekha - aisa nahi chalega' was fulfilled. We crossed a snow patch and started our steep descend.

The climb towards the second highest peak of our Trek

We managed to reach our tents by 5.30 pm. Nazir gave us some hot maggi which we relished. After resting for a while, we went to Vishansar Lake just a 5 min climb away from out camping spot.

Vishansar Lake

Here we also met the other 3 trekkers (2 from Bangalore & 1 from Mumbai - similar combination like ours). After spending some time at the lake, we had our dinner and were back in our tents. Tomorrow was the toughest day of our trek where we would be climbing the highest peak (Gadsar Pass - 13800 ft). I was low on confidence as I felt, my body is not accepting high altitude conditions and was discussing the same with my fellow trek mates. Som adviced me to walk slowly the next day (we had name this style - Zombie walk)

Day 3: Vishansar (12000ft) - Gadsar (12000 ft) via Gadsar Pass (13800 ft)

Day 3 began early morning and we were all mentally prepared for the toughest day. We began out climb at 7.30 am. After some time, I hear Muthu say "Guys, you will be shocked to see what lies next". And yes.. we were indeed shocked. A huge steep mountain was in front of us. Our guide Rashid very casually said "Sahab, hame bus yeh paar karna hai.. phir raasta down hai".

The huge mountain that we were to climb - which eventually was our highest peak in the Trek

The pic doesn't show how huge and steep this climb was. 

With a lot of efforts, breaks we managed to climb the highest peak of our trek - Gadsar Pass

View from the top @ Gadsar Pass (13800 ft)

After this was a very painful steep descend and then a long walk in the meadows. Our guide lost his way in some place and made us descend a very steep (risky) hill - saying it was a shortcut to the actual route. Our next halt was at an Indian Army camp site where they took our information (place, reason for coming, job etc). I also met a few soldiers from Nashik, spoke to them in Marathi. They felt very good to hear their local language. After resting for a while, we reached our campsite which was again put up near a stream. 

With Indian Army Soldiers (from Nashik)

By now, our body had got acclimatized to the conditions there. Though it was the toughest day, none of us had any issues with climbing / trekking today. We reached the camp site by 3 and it being sunny, Muthu and me decided to freshen up at the stream. The other group of trekkers had also camped at the same location. While speaking to them, we realized they never carried any luggage. We decided to hand over our bags to the helper and walk free with only our cameras with us.

Day 4: Gadsar (12000 ft) - Satsar - Maegandov (12000 ft)

We felt like free birds the next day with no bags on our shoulders. I was able to click many more pictures and spend more time looking and absorbing the beauty rather than huffing puffing all the way through. We started off early and climbed for the next 3 hours - with ease. Now, we weren't taking so many breaks and our team had gathered momentum. Here, Som changed from Zombie mode (the slow walker) to Som mode (Talking / clicking pictures) We also met soldiers at various check points.

I forgot to mention one more person who was accompanying us all these days - "Chacha". He was an old man around 60 years. He was the cook of the other group but trekked with us as we were a little slow and suitable for his pace of trekking. Today, even chacha was left behind as all three of us were acclimatized to the terrain & weather and we were without bags. We walked for 2 hours on lush green meadows with small flowers.

These flowers would bloom in a months time

We then reached another camp site where Indian Army jawans checked every baggage and would not allow us until it was done. The weather was extremely windy - so windy that we had to take cover on the slope of the hill. I truly admire the dedication and passion shown by those jawans. It took us one hour to remove all the baggages (from the horses) and put them back, the jawans knew it but still would check every corner of the ruck sack to be sure of no danger. Respect !!

The Army jawans checking our luggage

After the short halt @ the camp site, we moved on. Next was an hour of Rocky patch which took a toll on our knees. Eventually we reached our destination at 1.45 pm (which was like a record). Muthu was bugged with the maggi that our helper made last time. So he decided to take the initiative and make his style of maggi. It was awesome !! We hogged 'Muthu special' maggi and then rested for a while. In the evening, we had some onion pakoda's and tomato soup. Into the python we went after that.

Day 5: Margendov (12000 ft) to Gangabal (11500 ft)

To my surprise, Som & Muthu had Son Papdi for breakfast while I had 2 boiled eggs. We woke up early @ 5.45 am and started our day @ 7.15 am. We encountered a very rocky and steep climb after 10 mins of our trek. It seemed to be a never ending climb. Slowly with time, I realized it was kinda dangerous with the valley right below and absolutely no space apart from the very narrow path. Saying this, I happened to slip at a point where I would have just disappeared in the valley. Luckily, in the spot, I was taking Rashid's support and managed to maintain my balance and cross it. Som & Muthu saw me slip and took another easier route.

Som & Muthu - climbing the never ending climb.

With the slip, I got a panic attack and was not able to walk on easier paths. A normal path looked scary. I was constantly asking Rashid to be beside me and help me cross some difficult patches. Slowly, with time, I gained my confidence back and was normal. Finally after 4 hours of painful climbing and escaping a fall, we managed to reach the top.

A view from the top - on the Right (Lake Gangabal) and the left one (Lake Namkhol). Both these water bodies are HUGE.. the pic does not do justice to the massive size.

After capturing some amazing pictures, while our descend, Rashid realized that the route was much risker that our climb and we would not be able to do it. He took a detour and found another easier way down. Though it was a little longer, but much easier and safer which is what all of us wanted. We took halts mid way.

Rashid - resting while we all were clicking some pictures of the beautiful landscapes

We finally reached our camp site which was near the smaller lake (Namkhol). The below pic will help us understand how BIG was the small lake.

This is our tent at the tip of the (small) lake - Namkhol

As we reached out tents, not only us but our guide Rashid was also expecting Muthu to make his special maggi, which he did. After relishing the delicious maggi, we rested for a while and then went for a small trek to Gangabal (the bigger lake). It took us an hour to reach there. That place was the most beautiful place in the entire trek. We just sat there gazing at the beauty and massiveness of glaciers / ice cold water. With sun rays passing between mountains and falling on the lake, it was just a beautiful sight and all of us went into a different zone - meditation (not literally).

 We reached our tents and had hot tomato soup and some onion pakoda's. This was our last night in the tent and we were surely going to miss Python (Sleeping bag) and all the experiences we had in the last 6 days. Next day we were to trek and descend towards Naranag from where we would be going to Srinagar.

Day 6: Gangabal (11500 ft) to Naranag (7500 ft)

Early morning we got an clear view of the Harmukh peak (the glacier that surrounds the two lakes - Gangabal & Namkhol). We started off early by 7.15 am as all of us wanted to reach Srinagar as soon as possible. By now, our body was used to the conditions, our legs were strong and we were more confident than ever before. Our pace of trekking had increased and we covered a lot of distance before we met out guide Rashid. All this while, we trekked between amazing landscapes and beautiful meadows.

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The after walking among the pine trees for some 2 hours, our actual descend started. The descend was very steep and our legs were hurting to the core. I had blisters on my toes and my ankles and knees were paining badly. However, there came a point where we stopped feeling the pain and just descended with one intention - to reach Srinagar at the earliest. We reached Naranag (base village) at 12.30 pm and were set to reach Srinagar by 3 pm.

Just to our shock, the locals told us the situation in Srinagar was real bad. There was a curfew for the last 3 days and it would be extremely risky to go there now. Our cab driver took us to Gagangir (same place where we stayed on our first night). The plan was to stay here till night and leave around 3 am in the morning when things would be a little calm.

We checked into a hotel in the same place. Our lunch was Chicken, chicken and chicken !! Super delicious !! We had it all and went back to our room. All these days, everyone of us were waiting to reach Srinagar and have a hot water bath. Now, all of us were in the room, with a bathroom & hot water, but nobody was willing to get up. All of us lying down on the bed... just reliving the last 6 days of pure thrill. Finally all of us were ready, we packed our luggages and were set to go.

The trek organizer - Riyaz bhai (the one who handles all local guides / cab drivers / pick up drop facility) was the one who had shown us this hotel. He was suppose to pick us up early morning. We had 6 cards coming at 3.30 am. All three of us in three different cars. I was with Riyaz bhai. He spoke about how bad the situation was in the last few days. He told me, we had to somehow cross a place called Kangan which was supposedly the most dangerous place. Once we reached the VIP road, it wouldn't be so bad. I was just hoping that somehow, we reach the airport. The entire journey from the hotel to Srinagar Airport was very scary.

Finally we reached the airport @ 6 am and saw hundreds of people sleeping / sitting outside. They were tourists who were stuck at the airport due to the tense situation in Srinagar.

We had our last chai / coffee together before Som & Muthu left for Bangalore. They had an early flight @ 9.30 am while mine was @ 11.15 am. With such good memories, some of them scary ones.. and with two new wonderful friends, I ended this wonderful trek of Kashmir Great lakes. Would be doing more treks in the Himalayas in the years to come..!!

Cheers !!
K.G

Kothaligad: First trek of the season !!

This has been long due. A lot of trips gone by, a lot of treks done..many places explored..but they didn't find a place in my blogs - reason?? My laziness !! I promised myself, from my next outings, I'd blog all of it. And so, here I am..

With the rainy season at its best in Mumbai, I was keen to going for a short trek some weekend. On the websites, I came to know about a group going to Kothligad, which interested me. I asked Ankit whether he's be interested in joining me for this one. Ankit (as busy as he always is) checked his schedule and gave me an immediate positive reply. Along with him, I also had Franklin joining us. I communicated the all details to them and we were all set to start off from my place @ 4.45 am sharp !! Guess what...??

My alarm didn't ring, but somehow Ankit & Franklin managed to come to my house to wake me up. 5 mins gone and I was ready to leave. We were to meet the group @ Karjat bus depot near the station at 8.15 pm. For that, we caught the Karjat fast local from Dadar @ 6.30 and after a short nap in the train, met the group @ Karjat bus depot near the station. It was a small group of about 8 - 10 guys. The ST bus already waiting for us to leave to the base village - Ambivli.

A 1 hr drive from Karjat to Ambivli and we were all set to go. With greenery all around and the freshness of the air, it felt good. All three of us excited, we started walking towards Kothligad. It was raining profusely. The first pit stop was after a 1.5 hour trek to the hotel that we planned to have our lunch. We were all drenched but were enjoying the moment - trekking in the rains.

I had done a few treks during summer and this did not seem to be that exhausting. We had a nice hot cup of chai and rested a little. After some time, we resumed our trek. All three of us were together throughout, while a few group members lagged behind.With the heavy rains, we came across a lot of waterfalls. In fact, one of our steepest climbs on the top was through a waterfall. It was risky and exciting, both. All this while, I was itching to remove my camera (Cell phone) to click few pictures. However, with the constant heavy rainfall, I couldn't. Was hoping that the cloud / fog get cleared, by the time we reached the top. And it did !!

As we reached the top, after about 5 - 10 mins, slowly, we could see a scenic view, something I haven't seen before (I hadn't trekked during the rainy season before).The clouds cleared and made way for some amazing views.

The view was breadth taking. After capturing that scenic view in our memories, we headed back. One lovely delicious lunch at the same place where we halted initially, and we were set to go. Ankit, Franklin and me separated from the bunch and took the shortcut to reach the base village. A 1 hr bus drive back to the station and we were hoping to catch the 6.41 CST local. We reached the station at 6.45 and were sure the train must have left. Still, as optimist as we are, all of us were running towards the platform. While crossing the railway lines, we saw out train leaving. A few of the guys were waving hands and request the Motor man to stop the train since the next train to CST was after an hour.

Surprisingly, the motorman stopped the train midway and we climbed onto it in a flash. This was the icing on the cake. We reached home late night around 11 pm, tired, all drenched but with fond memories of an awesome day. Hoping to have more such treks soon.

Until then,

K.G
Keep moving !!

Bike Ride to Turtle Bay & Maravanthe Beach, 03/07/2011

Here is another weekend without lectures. If this was last year, I would have been lazing around in my room and watching movies. But things change and in a year, I realized what I love doing. Any guesses??? Travelling of course.. I had initially planned a bike trip to Sita falls but that didn't materialize. So, early in the morning I got a call from Sarvesh suggesting that we go to Turtle Bay - a place near Kundapur, about 60 kms from our college. I agreed instantaneously and asked Khushal who initially hesitated but later gave in.

So, we were 4 of us - Harshal, Sarvesh, Khushal & myself on two bikes off for an adventure ride to Turtle Bay. We stopped for breakfast at some restaurent near the Udupi Bus stand and took off on our 1.5 hr ride from there. We bought some mazaa (Mango drink) in case we needed some energy boosters mid way. I was initially worried about the roads and also the Big Volvo's overtaking vehicles at high speeds, just a cut and we would go flying somewhere. Luckily none of it happened. The roads were amazing & both of us, Harshal & me we riding safely, allowing those massive vehicles to overtake whenever they wanted to. So, after an hour and a half of a great ride, we reached Turtle Bay. We parked the bikes and walked towards the shore. It was beautiful and serene. However, it was not a beach where we could go in the water and have some fun. Still, the view was amazing and Sarvesh & me started clicking photos. After some clicks, we decided to go to Maravanthe beach, about 3 kms from there. 

We reached the beach in no time. Infact, we went far ahead and had to come back after asking few locals there. This beach was a beauty, very clean and not crowded. It has a road running parallel to it with some rocks dividing the shore & the road. It looks great and the ride there is an experience in itself. The sound of waves splashing, winds blowing onto ur face and the view itself... feels as if you are a free bird meant to just fly. We then clicked some pictures there, had tea at a local shop and decided to leave for Manipal where we would eat our late lunch (at about 5 pm).

Our return journey was again great with the view still stuck to my mind. It felt great to know that I was at Turtle Bay and not in my room watching another movie. We reached Manipal by about 4.45 pm and after our  late lunch at Snack shack, all of us sleepy and tired, reached college by 5.30 pm. Coming back to the room and lying flat on the bed after a tiring but a terrific ride...feels heavenly. Now looking forward for some more breaks where I can go and visit more wonderful such places nearby Manipal/Udupi.

K.G

Manipal, Karnataka

Trek to Dudhsagar Waterfalls, Goa..!!

After all these trips and the list of places to visit, Dudhsagar had a prime position. Reason being “revenge”. My last trip to Goa with Siddhesh & Roshan was great but would have been awesome had I got the opportunity to complete my trip to Dudhsagar falls that day. We had reached till the base of the falls (Kulem stn.) and due to inaccessible roads we could not go further. There are locals there who give you lift for Rs 560 per head. We didn't find this worth and so we had changed our plans to go to Tambdi Surla - which turned out to be another heaven.

Well, it was that day that I had decided I would be trekking all my way to the falls someday. So, back here in TAPMI - our lead Prasad Nayak had planned a trek to Dudhsagar and I was all game for it. We left from TAPMI @ about 8.45 pm, had our dinner @ Snack Shack and then reach Udupi stn. at about 11.20 pm. We found out that the earliest train to Madgaon wat @ 11.50 pm. So, we bought general compartment tickets and got into the train. The general compartment here was much more comfortable than the experience I had while going to Kolad. We reached Madgaon by 3.45 am and our next train to Kulem was at 7.40 am. Sarvesh & me borrowed some news paper from a stall there, spread it on the platform and went off to sleep.

The loud announcements woke us up at 6 am. After a pretty decent nap and a nice morning tea, the train finally arrived. We reached out destination station - Kulem @ 9 am and started our trek from there. We had the option of getting down at the next stn. which was just 0.5 km from the falls. However, we decided to trek it all the way from Kulem - Distance 14 kms. 

Prasad had found out the route. We just had to follow the tracks and be careful and alert of trains coming from behind. Initially all of us were apprehensive, but after some trains passed us, we were quite comfortable. We walked and walked and walked. On our way, Sarvesh. Prasad & me got busy clicking pictures. After a 3 hr walk we reached a point were we could see the falls. Just the sight of it was brilliant. It was huge and massive. We decided to wait there for the mist to clear so that we could get a clear shot of the falls. We managed to get that awesome pic and then moved on to reach some tunnels which had mini-falls. I couldn't resist myself. After the long tiring walk, we all need a break don't we? And what better break than a nice natural shower :) Looking at me, GP & Ramanuj also hopped in. Sarvesh helped us getting the pics - Thanks Sarvesh :)

The falls wasn't far away. We could hear the noise. As the noise got louder, I started walking faster to reach there. This is where I wanted to come with Roshan & Siddhesh but couldn't. This was it. I reached the massive falls. It was awesome. Just standing on the railway bridge which is right in front of the falls took some effort. We all were tired but felt totally refreshed and full of life. After clicking some pics, we walked towards Dudhsagar stn to catch a goods train which goes back to Kulem. Luckily, on our way towards Dudhsagar stn, I just waved a hand to a motorman operating an engine asking him to drop us to Kulem. We got a nod from him and all of us exited as ever climbed the Engine and stood there. The best part of the trip I feel was when the engine train passed through the falls, we standing on it and the water splashing on all of us. We reached Kulem @ 5 pm and thanked the motorman for the lift.

Our next train to Udupi was at 8.45 pm. Sarvesh & me went out to eat something while GP, Ramanuj & Prasad waited there at the platform, tired and sleepy. We caught the train and luckily got a place to sit. We got down at Udupi at 1.15 am and finally reached college at 1.45 am. After a nice shower, I went off to sleep with just one thing in my mind - the awesomeness of the trip and the beauty of nature. Truly, Dudhsagar waterfalls in one beautiful place to be.

K.G

Manipal, Karnataka

Trip to Bekal Fort, Kerala..!!

We had just settled into our 2nd yr @ TAPMI and with my new zeal for travelling, I wanted to make the most of the so called "Lazy Sundays". I had planned a trip to Jog falls which eventually had to be postponed as the best time to visit that place is sometime in August - advice from Berty. I decided we could go to Bekal fort which is about 4 hours from here (Manipal). And to my surprise there were many enthusiasts who wanted to come along.

So finally we were a group of 14 people on our way to Bekal Fort, Kerala.

Our day began early and we left TAPMI @ 7.30 am. Took an AC bus to Mangalore & from there another bus to Kasaragod. We presumed that our destination would not be far away from Kasaragod, but that was not to be. We had to catch another bus from Kasaragod to Bekal fort. It took another 45 mins to reach Bekal fort. By 12 noon, we were @ Bekal fort, hungry and exited. We decided to have a heavy brunch as all of us had not had anything from the morning. Rathi found a good hotel - Nirvana, and all of us followed him. The hotel had a very good ambiance and greenery all around. Neha & Aditi played on the swing. The boys started playing catch catch with a coconut. I know weird, but if it was going to take another 1 hr for our lunch to come, what else would one do. We could not leave the place. So, we decided its better to enjoy there. 

               

We had already lost a lot of time during lunch. We moved fast and entered the fort. Inside, the fort is lush green with many types of flowers & plants. It is very well maintained and you feel as if you have entered a garden. We walked ahead and climbed a slope/wall and started clicking pictures. The view was awesome. You could see the entire seashore from there and also the long stretch of the fort's wall. We spent quite a while clicking pictures at various places in the fort. Scenic view and amazing climate - what else could I have asked for?

Then, at about 3 pm we decided to leave the fort and head towards "Bekal Beach". We walked another 1 km  and in 20 - 25 mins reached the beach. It was serene and we could see the fort at a far off distance. Loved the view. It was sunny but pleasant. Everyone started playing in the water and I got busy clicking pictures. After a while at about 4. 15 pm we left for Kasaragod. Our return journey was tiring as we all were very hungry and exhausted. We reached Mangalore, ate some chat/food @ Bharat mall and headed towards our desert session @ Pabbas. The thick shakes there are amazing. If you ever had to visit Mangalore, Pabbas is one place you have to visit. All of us bought ice creams/thick shakes and entered the bus for Udupi. We finally reached Udupi by 10 pm and our college by 11 pm.

This was my first trip of 2nd year and it felt great as there is so much to look for. I feel alive and exited knowing that I have one entire year to visit many beautiful places here nearby Manipal / Udupi.  My next trip was to Dudhsagar Waterfalls. Another amazing place. Wait for my post "Nature's beauty - Dudhsagar Waterfalls"

Cheers..!!

K.G

Manipal, Karnataka

The Unexplored Goa..!!

I had traveled a lot in the past 2 months while in Mumbai. My internship was about to get over on 7th June & I was supposed to leave for Manipal on 13th June. I had 5 days in hand and thought of another big trip for finish my awesome stay in Mumbai. We decided to go to Goa as it would be less expensive now and we also had a place to stay (Siddhesh has a house in Goa). Initially we were 4 of us for this trip - Siddhesh, Roshan, Sameep & me. But it so turned out that Sameep had to opt out due to personal reasons. 

We booked a Volvo (Rs. 550 - Off season) and started out trip @ 7.30 pm from Borivli, Mumbai. On our way back, I was again not very comfortable of going to Goa in the bus. But, in the end, managed to survive the journey. We reached Goa the next morning @ 11 am. Got down at Panaji and hired 2 Bikes @ Rs 150 each (again quite cheap compared to the seasonal rates of 300 Rs.) We all wanted to eat something as we were all empty stomach. Siddhesh took us to a good place where we ate some real delicious food. The place was quite cheap as well compared to the set up and the ambiance it had. We then went to Siddhesh's place and decided to rest there for a while. At about 3 pm we planned to go to Chapura fort and click some nice shots there. We took off on our bikes and headed towards Chapura fort. Reaching the top, standing on the edges of the fort.. the view was amazing. It was as if you could feel nature, its power.. we wanted to just sit there and do nothing.. just experience the moment.. We took some pics there and then left off for Panaji. On our way back, we ordered some food near GIM college and went back home.

Our next day was going to be adventurous as we were planning to go to Dudhsagar Waterfalls (3rd highest waterfall in India). Siddhesh's friend, Satyen (I call him Cinthol :P ) came along with us. Infact, we went along with him in his car. Traveling in the car was a good decision as it was raining heavily and the falls were about 80 kms from Panaji. We reached Kulem stn, where were realized we cant go any further. The roads were inaccessible and we had to either drop the plan or pay Rs 560 each to reach the falls on Bikes. We thought it was not worth it and so decided to go to another place in a small village named Tambdi Surla. There was a Wildlife Sanctuary there and we all were very much exited to reach there. 

The place was amazing. Deep inside the forest reserves we found a temple - dedicated to Lord Shiva. This was a heritage site and was built in the 12th Century. After clicking some pics there, we found ourselves enjoying in a small stream flowing there. It was fun. The water was chilled and very clean. We were swimming, diving and relaxing in the stream there. Then, reaching Panaji we had to visit Priyanka's place (Siddhesh's sister) for dinner. I was not feeling that well and so decided not to eat. 

The next day, we decided we would travel by Jan Shatabdi Express which was at 12.10 pm from Madgaon. We managed to convince the TC and bought 4 tickets. However, the deal was we go standing all the way. Well, it was OK with us as the train would reach Mumbai by 11 pm which was any day better as I would get some time to sleep before I leave for TAPMI the next day. We bought some news papers which would come handy if we wanted to sit down. And it did come handy. 

We finally reached Mumbai by 11 pm and Dahisar by 12.30 am. However, were were still wondering how fantastic this trip was. We went to Goa, did not visit a single beach and still enjoyed to the fullest. Well, I realized one thing, in Goa - there is no season. You can always have fun there. After reaching home, I dozed off as I new, the next morning I had a lot of things to do. Packing stuff and moving for my next BIG trip to Manipal. 

"Manipal - Here I come"

K.G

Manipal, Karnataka

Exploring Nagpur...!!

I have already been to some trips now but didn't blog it..But, as I have decided to jot down all my travels...Here I am writing about my official trip to Nagpur. Well, this trip was always on the cards while I was doing my project (internship) @ Tata Realty & Infrastructure Ltd. My project was about a mall being developed in Nagpur and I had to study the Retail Market there. After seeing all my marketing friends travelling places for work, I also was waiting for my opportunity. After coaxing my mentor, finally I got the nod to visit Nagpur. I had made arrangements with Arpit and was planning to stay at his place.

The journey wasn't a comfortable one. I had not booked tickets and had boarded the train with a waiting ticket in hand. As always, in India trains run at full capacity and this train wasn't different. I manage to get a place with a Bengali family. I met this 10^th std. kid there who started playing Fifa with me on my laptop.  Once the charge was down, there wasn’t much to do. Finally, we both slept on the same berth. Arpit was there at the station to pick me up next morning.

After a nice breakfast, I used Arpit’s bike (Scooty pep) which would help me cover all important areas of Nagpur. So, I set off roaming the streets of Nagpur and trying to understand the retail market there. With temperatures exceeding 45 degrees, it was unbearable heat. I was sweating and losing out on fluid instantly. Bought myself some drinks (Mazaa) and moved on. Decided to buy a dupatta after observing the locals there and went ahead with my market research. I decided to cover as much as possible in the morning hours and watch a movie in the noon when the temperatures went above 45 degrees. It was a good idea as I spent the afternoons in nice comfortable malls watching movies. I didn’t care how the movies were. They were way better than roaming the streets of Nagpur under the sun. 2 days – 2 movies: Stanley ka Dabba & Pyar ka Punchnama. The second one was awesome and I decided I would watch it again with my buddies in Mumbai.

By Saturday, I had covered most places in Nagpur and was sufficient for my analysis of the Retail market. I didn’t get any tickets to Mumbai on Sunday. So, decided to go to Mumbai via Pune. I was shit scared travelling for such long hours in the bus, coz I hate buses. However, my journey back to Pune was more comfortable than I expected. On my way, I met Hussain, who was also heading towards Pune. It so turned out that we share similar interests. He turned out to be another adventurer and we spoke about all our trips. Finally, I reached home on Monday evening. After experiencing the heat of Nagpur, Mumbai felt so much better.

Well, this was it. My official trip had ended. One thing I will not forget in the trip was Arpit’s hospitality. He made sure he was there to help whenever I needed it. I had to write a short report on my trip and submit it to my Mentor which I did. My project end date was 7th June and I had to leave for Manipal on 13^th June. With 6 days in hand, I planned in a short trip to Goa with Siddu & Roshan. Wait for the post - "The Unexplored Goa" to know more.

Cheers..!!

K.G

Manipal, Karnataka