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