Shar, Talakona and Horsley Hills

The SHAR Space Centre is India’s biggest and the only facility dedicated to Space Science and astronomy, and our prime agenda for the weekend trip. The genesis for this trip began about 3 months ago. At that time, our recent trip to Dandeli was still fresh on our minds, and that had been inspiring enough to plan a second one. Unlike other countries, SHAR is not promoted as a tourist attraction, to the contrary-its India’s one of the most closely guarded secrets, which one is allowed to visit only after gaining special entry permission. For us the SHAR tour was made possible by a dear friend’s father, who is a senior and revered member of the SHAR community.

Ours was a big young group, half from Hyderabad and other half from Bangalore. We( The Bangalore trippers) boarded the Chennai express (10:50 PM)and got off at Chennai central at the break of dawn. Took a passengers train to Sullurpeta, which is the nearest town to Sriharikota(SHAR). It took us around 2 and a half hrs by train to reach Sullurpeta. Pre-arranged cabs were waiting for us at the station. The drive was astounding with the Pulicat lake(although dried up at this time of the year) on both sides of the road. The Pulicat Bird Sanctuary is also on the same road, though the best time to visit is around October to March, but luck did permit us to spot some Pelicans.

SHAR
Our trip began with a Pongal-Vada breakfast at the Aryabhatt Canteen, and we were then shuttled to Space Centre's futuristic Rocket Tower by our friend’s father. Our plan was to take an escorted round of launch pad facility for SLVs (Satellite Launch Vehicle), technical centre for rocket testing and assembly, break for lunch, explore a range of other facilities for launch control, satellite tracking and radar sensing ,and be dropped off by the cabs at the guest house. A lofty goal for a day, perhaps, but it did allow us enough space to sneak in a beach bath and time for Dumb shiraz. At the space centre, w
e found ourselves immersed in an awe-inspiring journey, taking in the mightiness of the Launch pad, absorbing in the technical glitches, pondering over the issues with political dependencies, gathering the success stories, seeing amazing space rockets, satellites and capsules and witnessing the latest in audio-visual technology. Through our friend’s father’s eyes we discovered the perils of space and visited sites we only dreamt as children. (Deepti-we cannot thank your father enough).

Talakona Waterfalls
The next day, we started for Talakona Waterfalls, which is a 4 hour drive from Sullurpet. It’s a quaint dreamy little spot in Sri Venteshwara Park in Andra Pradesh. Indeed dreams hav swamped trails. We trekked uphill for about 2 kms to reach the spot.e its price; hence a bath in the fall requires lengthy traverses on monkey Folklore has it that bathing in the falls is therapeutic, not sure about the validity of the statement, but we did have a whale of time bathing under the falls. It’s indeed difficult to stand steady with the water falling above your head from a height of 200 ft! Once done, we ventured ahead to Horseley hills, cramming in the cabs with our wet clothes on!

Horsley Hills
The drive from Talakona to Horseley Hills, took us into the scrubby hills that look like Hyderabad of the past. Some hills had dishevelled forest on them, and others were capped with stony boulders. We crossed a sleepy town of Madanapalle enroute the hill station. The town is hub of activity and the epicentre of transport. From here, one can expect a bus to Bangalore every hour, which I guess is the cheapest way to travel costing just Rs 75/pp. the factoids tell us that Horsley Hills stands tall at 1,265 m from sea level and is a famous summer hill resort in Andhra Pradesh, about 160 km from Bangalore, and 144 km from Tirupati. The major tourist attractions include the Mallamma temple and the Rishi valley school. Horsely Hills is also the departure point for the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary at a distance of 87 km, but due to paucity of time we decided to stay put there itself.

We reached around 6 PM and checked in at the AP govt, guest house, which is the cheapest and the best (and I guess it’s the only) accommodation in Horseley Hills. The guest house offers a plethora of staying options to suit all budget types. After settling down we decided to take a little walk to explore the place and found a nice quiet viewpoint. It was truly gorgeous and undisturbed, perhaps our most wanted spot on Horsley Hills. By this time we were pretty much tired, so we headed back to the dining area for some much needed beer and ice cream. Whetting our appetites for the big dinner. The place is equipped with a bar and in-house restaurant, albeit being in AP the food is spicy and needs to be pre-ordered to avoid delay. Ours was a big group so the delay was inevitable, but fun indeed. Post that we decided to share our haunted experiences in dim lit cottage. A ghostly end to a mighty adventurous day.

Recap
SHAR:Stay at SHAR. Cost about Rs.100 person/day on a twin sharing basis, food is extra at the canteen at a very nominal cost

Horsley Hills:Stay at Horsley Hills dormitories cost about Rs.100 person/day and cottages at 800 on a twin sharing basis.

Frills extra.

Contact details for Horsley Hills ; Tel: +91 40 2326 2151 / 52 / 53 / 54 / 57
website: http://www.tourisminap.com/tirupathidivision.htm



I would like to say a special thanks to the Hyderabad and Bangalore team making our little trip such a beautiful experience.

Kabini-Team offsite

It wasn’t the average quick –short –adventurous fun filled trips we usually embark on , it was our office offsite arranged for the benefit of us employees, with all the team building exercises thrown in for good measure. It was a luxury wrapped holiday which I would definitely want to do again, with my better half of course.

I wished for a wild jungle holiday, but without my husband’s heroism by my side to keep the fear factor at bay, I realized the comfy option I had was a much better choice.

On our way to Kabini

The planning had been on for very many days, it finally happened on 6th and 7th weekend of June, and with all our enthusiastic spirits, we set out for a short little adventure on 6th morning from Bangalore. We had our breakfast point charted out as Kamat, so we halted there for an extended buffet breakfast, post which we halted for some early morning beer and wine…high spirits and relaxed nerves was the hymn of the day, but that aside, it was a merry journey. The tree lined road was spring cleaned with a fresh drizzle, as if dressed for our welcome while the gushes of wind were blowin’ the trees, carpeting the landscape green with nature’s bounty.

Reached Kabini-Cicada

We reached the resort by 2:00PM and welcomed with a refreshing cool sip of green coconut juice. Aah! Cicada Kabini Resort is set in the charming green of the jungle. Flanked by South Karnataka on one side and Waynad Kerala on the other, the quaint place was surrounded on all sides by the Kabini River. We were allocated our cottages on a twin sharing basis, with each unit situated at least 250 m away from the other ensuring complete privacy. All the cottages were overlooking the river with a private hammock and recliner, and each room amply stocked with top of the line herbal soaps and aromatic shampoos, which just added to the experience.

Soon, we all made a beeline for the extensive lunch buffet, post which (as per our agenda )we were to leave for the jungle/river safari. The Lunch, along with the rest of the meals over our course of stay, was a delightful mix of continental and Indian cuisine but what takes the cake is the resort’s milk and milk produce. Wonderfully thick-sweet milk, which adds oodles of body to its house brewed coffee and reminds one of the celebrated buffalo ranches of Punjab.

Post lunch Water Safari

The water safari made me feel as if I have wandered onto a Hollywood movie set capturing the pristine islands of Malasia or Thailand in the hinterland region, with its mix of rare breed of birds, leafless trees, exotic barks and miles of nothingness. The Kabini river is an excellent spot for bird watching and star gazing. Kayaking and canoeing in the Kabini River are also popular activities as the water is sheltered.

Barbeque Dinner:
Dinner is nothing to talk home about; it was filled with joy, exuberance and the usual team gaiety. Number of games and an extensive spirits section added to the liveliness of the evening.

Jeep Safari:

We left for the safari at 6:30 in the morning. The jeep was a custom made high-rise jeep which could accommodate 7 of us at one go. We followed the beaten tracks for a while, occasionally stopping for rare predators to take a peek-a-boo, but weren’t as lucky. We saw a vast variety of flora and fauna- Sāmbhar, elephants, mongoose, peacock. It was a fantastic experience to watch a peacock dance while we were trying to make videos. The whole way we kept on ticking the ready reckoner of the animals sighted, which was provided to us by the resort people.

Our Way back

With two of the safaris done and over with, we were pretty much done with our agenda and on our own till lunch, and were looking at an early departure around 2:30PM. The Journey back was lazy and long, but that didn’t deter our spirits and we stoppend every now and then for food breaks. Managed to hit Bangalore by 8PM.

Recap
Stay at Kabini Cicada for a luxurious stay. Cost about Rs.5000 per person/day on a twin sharing basis, all inclusive. (Includes three extensive buffet spreads everyday and all the five start frills)
Jeep Safari costs 1750 pp for two and a half hours.
Boat Safari costs 1500 pp
Biking 100 pp
Kayakaying 350 pp


Conclusion

It was an action-packed and incredible weekend. The forest is about 625 sq km, and habitats an incredible variety of flora –fauna, the river is serene and never-ending. For foodies, it’s a paradise, so is for bird watchers. I wish every weekend could be spent making such great memories.

Hampi Hobnob

It was a spur of the moment decision to spend a leisurely weekend, backpacking ishtyle among the ruins to of Hampi…’Worlds only Living heritage city’…or so the promotional advertisements say… We set out on Friday night taking one of the Luxury buses (booked on www.redbus.in) a great site for travelling across South India specially on a short notice and on our way back booked the Tatkal train tickets (www.irctc.co.in) on Hampi express (dep 19:55 Hospet) Whoa! So we were all set..with palmloads of printouts taken from the site (http://www.hampi.in/) which we felt was highly accurate and had most of the information one may need to cruise across Hampi. It was undoubtedly a lot of fun, to venture out without any of the mandatory preplanning and hoopla. We set foot in the Hospet bus station at around 7:30 AM. Buses ply from Hospet to Hampi every 30 minutes and the fare is Rs 10 pp, a convenient but high-priced alternative is hiring an Auto, the fare may vary between 50 to 100 depending on your negotiation skills, but they assure to drop you infront of your lodge and may suggest some staying options (albeit at an
escalated rate), if you venture into Hampi without proper homework.

The area around the Hampi market is dotted with lodges and other staying options. Most of them are a curious cross between home stays and guest houses sans the luxury. We picked up Sudha Lodge for a modest Rs 250 /day. The entry billboard also claimed that its been recommended by the Lonely Planet -2003. This claim caught us by surprise, as most of Hampi looked like a village to us…but it seems that IT awareness has spread its wings everywhere, these quotes, warm smiles with greetings in broken English, wide availibity of nutella pancakes and porridge -where idli -dosa is the norm -just goes on to explain how a novice and reluctant entrepreneur explores opportunities via networking and awareness at the grass-root level. Impressive.

After a quick bath and breakfast, at the terrace restaurant of Sudha Lodge , we set out to explore Hampi. We hired 2 cycles for a modest 30/- per cycle day, and cycled our way to the famous Virupaksha temple. Over there, we decided to leave the history narration to an experienced guide(for Rs 50/-), while we basked in the glory of a 15th century creation. From there we moved on to the Ganesha temple, Shree Krishna temple…only stopping for a leisurely Lunch at the Mango restaurant which is around 500 meter from the Virupaksha temple towards west (along the riverside). . It is a small open air restaurant under a massive mango tree, overlooking the rocky mountains, Tungabhadra river and miles of nothingness…the food was a little customized to the firang taste , which made it so very lovely…I had a fluffy layered paratha stuffed with garden veggies and served with a generous dollop of sour cream..ummm..washed down with a glass of ginger mango lassi…so you get the idea, it’s a must try there.

After leaving the place, we went to take a coracle ride (50 pp one way) to the Vittahala temple complex (entry fee-Rs 10 pp), the last destination in the northern part. The main attraction besides the architecture, are the 56 Musical Pillars, which on tapping produce sounds of different musical instruments. Unfortunately, for us some construction work was going on , hence we could not test the claim, nevertheless, we believe. We walked our way back, huffing and puffing reached the lodge, and took a lomgish siesta. Evening was leisurely, with local thali and dosai , with Rose Lassi for Desert. There is a lassi and Milshake shop in the Market, which sells one of the of most amazing and thick lassis I have ever tasted.its a must try.

Day 2, we set out to explore the royal ruins , following our very own route map. The sequence of events is as listed below. With this part of Hampi done by the noon, we took a chilled beer and lunch break at the Mayura bhuvneswari, before returning to Hospet by shared auto (Rs 8 pp).

Day 1

Hampi Bazar

Virupaksha Temple

Sasive Kalu Ganesha

Balakrishna Temple

Vittala temple

Monolithic bull

Achyutaraya Complex

Matanga Hill

Day 2

The Kings’ balance

Sugriva's Cave

Ugra Narasimha Badava Linga

The Underground Temple Guard’s quarters

Hazara Rama temple

Elephent Stables Royal enclosure

Mahanavami Dibba Mint Pushkarani or the Stepped Tank

Aqueducts and Canals lotus mahal Queens Bath

Saraswati Temple Octagonal bath

Octagonal Water pavilion

Bhima’s Gate

Gejjala Mandapa

Kamlapur museum

The call of the wild-Jim Corbett National Park

While we were on our beautiful little vacation-within-a-vacation (a 2 by 2 bed, a stack of all time favourite DVD’s, warm showers, simple meals.), we decided to really hoof it back to Corbett for some wild fun! The idea was that since we couldn't go to Vaishnodevi (as per the original plan), we might as well be somewhere pretty. Yeah! 2007 is such a year for us, it must be a Year of the Pig for some and for others ‘a year in which we got married’ but for us it is the beginning of our life long friendship, a year of boisterous fun and budgeting, of cat fights and puppy love, of wheels, fresh air and a combined interest to take in the beauty of our blooming landscape!Jim Corbett National Park, is our second excursion. We are so bohemian that ‘spur of the moment’ decision, no prior reservation coupled with a watertight schedule was no deterrent. We set off on an evening train (Ranikhet Express) to Ramnagar, zipping through the Delhi outskirts, which was shrouded in a suffocating haze of vehicle smoke, we couldn’t wait to get off the train and smell the fresh forest air.A shared auto began the journey up the Corbett reserve.


Our first destination was the bus stop, from where we decided to take a ride to the National park, only to discover later the ‘surprises’ waiting for us! Well well, once we reached the national park we realized that we can’t enter it unless we have a Permit, and that can be obtained only from the city (Ramnagar) . Unable to dodge catastrophically inept drivers and unthinkably narrow roads, we had to hitch hike our way back in a lorry and landed in front of the Forest Reservation Centre. The reservation centre was a strange place. It sort of resembled a waiting room with a long queue of hopeful travelers longing to begin their journey into the jungle as fast as possible while the officials behind the desk were taking their own sweet time in catering to their ‘demands’. Government formalities are strictly ‘one at a time’ as me and my husband haplessly discovered, after being herded through a series of form filling sessions and hours of waiting! Eventually we managed to get the ‘Permit’, a night stay in ‘Bijrani’, and an added luxury (of course at a price)of having a driver and a gypsy at our disposal for a day. Once we reached Bijrani, A quick bath and few moments of quiet prepared us for the big Jungle Safari. We took off in our gypsy with a guide in tow.’ Tiger tiger burning bright’…ah! My mind was singing and I kept our fingers crossed. The ride was slow and excruciatingly boring, we tried to distract ourselves with nibbles and small talk , but were soon silenced by our guide. I was feeling a bit edgy…my sixth trip to a national park and still I didn’t have had the luck of watching a tiger even once! After what seemed like an eternity the driver hushed us to remain quiet and pointed his fingers towards the bushes saying that it’s a tiger.Oh my gawd- a tiger! As much as I strained my eyes to see the regal beast, my power of location failed me. Having sat through what had to be one of the most uninspiring safaris in my life, the sight of those bushes and the probability of a tiger lurking behind just seemed hoax! Huh! I didn’t even believe in it till my husband decided to show me actually where the tiger was. Lo and behold! The sight of the tiger walking across was almighty. We were awestruck! And I owe my tiger luck to my hubby—who else:?We return triumphed. Clicked some happy pictures, had dinner and called it a day.

In our utter excitement we almost forgot that we were staying in a jungle. That night we went off to sleep peacefully, but were soon woke up jarred to some scratching and thumping noise at the door. "Oh no. What next?" I snuggled into the brave and secure arms of my husband. The potential for trouble was knocking at the door. We could look forward to an aggravated monkey at the very least."I will take care," pat came the reply from my husband. "We’ve got this." Managing a composed look, he nodded meaningfully at me. A hanger. A rum bottle and a spiked bangle discreetly emerged from different corners of the room. Ha! And he flicked them up threateningly and held by his side."Oh...well then..." My husband does make me feel secure and closely guards me at all times , but our weapons of self defence didn't look hardy enough to hold off much of a challenge. Undeterred, my husband waited for the calamity to strike , while I huddled into him and slept cozily clutching his arm.In the morning we discovered that we had an over energetic rat as our night guest.Ahem!

Day 2:It was nearly eight o’clock in the morning when we woke up. Clicked pictures of the 230 years old guest house (the place where we were staying) and bid adieus to the forest. Back into the city Ramnagar, we took refuge in a government guesthouse, had a heavy lunch of fried rice, mutar paneer, fried dal and roti with thirst quenching Pepsi. Keen for some adventure we headed off to a nearby adventure site. Adventure eluded us that day but what we gained was priceless--blessings of the hill goddess ‘Girja Devi’, an insight of the daily life and an uninterrupted romantic walk in the woods! Later that night we took the train back to Delhi. It was four forty five in the morning when the train from the sleepy little town of Ramnagar finally pulled into Delhi. After two nights onboard we were happy to be back, yet sad to leave each other once again and get into the daily humdrum.But that’s life.

We were home.

for more information click:http://www.jimcorbettnationalpark.com/

Pondicherry - The French Experience

Uncertain, unsure, undefined…yeah, these were the starting points of our weekend trip. It was mid-week with work looming large on my head, yet the thought of missing my hubby out on a working trip for two whole days and the lure of seeing the unseen with my best travel companion ( a.k.a Hubby) ever was too much to resist. So be it, I gave in to my travel temptations—packed our bags and took off.
Luck wasn't favoring us, or so we thought, for as soon as we reached the Bangalore station we realized that the train in which we booked our tickets to Chennai—namely the Chennai Express was cancelled. Nevertheless, the sporty travelers that we are, we didn't allow this little piece of news to trample our spirits. We stood in a queue again and reserved our seats in Gwuahati Mail and started afresh. The train pulled into Perambur at about 5:00 a.m. that was one stop before our slated destination—Chennai Central. Railway officials announced that the train won't go any further, so reluctantly we unloaded and hired an auto, breathing in the fresh air on the unfamiliar streets of Chennai, all throughout looking for a hotel to halt for the day. Well, our travel is mostly tight pursed so keeping inline with that agenda we were looking for a cheaper property. I should've known that for a fact that cheaper hotels come with cut-rate luxuries, and I was only disappointed to discover that I've have fallen in love with all the classy frills. Anyways, we settled for a high budget sub -standard hotel and moved around town in autos spending more that four times the price for local transport than what we spent traveling from Bangalore to Chennai! Spent the evening in meeting old office friends and waiting for hubby to finish his work, so that we could head back to Bangalore.

Little did we know that our second major change of plans was about to happen. Yes, changes can be more wonderful than any plans. So after finishing a light Chettinad dinner we walked around for an hour, and that's when we thought, "wait a minute, why can't we just take off for Pondicherry?"

We ran back to our Hotel room, slept off and woke up to a new set of adventures. We booked our tickets for the Bangalore the first thing in the morning just to be assured of reserved train seats when we return weary from our Pondi trip, met few experienced (in terms of Pondi travel) friends for breakfast, made necessary clothing purchases and Voila! Armed with new set of clothes and bubbling spirits, we boarded the bus to Pondicherry.

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Pondicherry begins:

The road to Pondicherry is a sight to be relished. The lush green seemed to hug the stream and glow brightly in the afternoon sun. Such is the beauty of the glorious afternoon sky that it made the trampling of dusty shoes in that crowded bus, the nasty glare of fellow passengers who just missed securing a seat or the stench of sweat, all look small.For traveler's who wish to avoid the sweaty rub of fellow passengers , may opt for taxis, which is of course a bit expensive, but convenient.

Day 1
We spent the whole evening strolling hand in hand on the cobbled, winding streets of Pondicherry. Starting from the Aurobindo Ashram to the rocky shoreline, a medley of curios stalls dotted each side of the road selling a mixture of duty-free imports, trinkets, fakes and religious paraphernalia. Amid all the buzz and chaos, every bylane, nook and cranny felt like it's designed to give its denizens a divine walking experience. Every church, building, house, shop, bore an antiquated look, concealing in its foundation, holiness and history in good measure.While walking along the twon beach , you cannot miss the 4-meter high statue of Mahatma Gandhi and French World War I memorial. Its a lving evidence of the Indo-french confluence, which is carried till date.There is a 150-year-old lighthouse also.

Day 2
The next morning we decided to have breakfast at the Ashram—brown bread, bananas, milk , porridge and sprouts…(three meals a day all for 20 rs pp...health food cant get cheaper than this) yes the meal was truly alive…fully immersed in the silence of the moment and the divinity of our 'satvik bhojan' we regretfully realized that our one day vacation was just not enough. The addictive charm of the place is such that it tenderly nudges even the most casual visitor to linger on. Post breakfast we left for 'Auroville' to catch a glimpse of 'Matrimandir' or the meditation dome. It looked like a whole new way of living, promising a slice of divinity in our disquiet life, accepting our resistance towards the ritualistic religious activities -as if it were normal. All I can say is --Never before in my life I felt so comfortable with being religious, as now it came sans the frills.

Good time does not last forever, we left savoring every morsel of our last lunch at the Ashram, with a hope to come back soon, and as we left the tranquility and peace behind and entered the posh, polluted, noisy locales of Bangalore the next morning, our tired bodies ached and sighs lay heavy. We looked at the wide, sparkling roads, flashy cars and neatly arranged trees by the side of the road. We thought of the narrow cobbled streets and flower festooned gardens, the devotees on bicycle, the Ashram community and activities that we left behind. And we missed it.

For first time traveler's on a shoe string budget :

We recommend staying in the Aurobindo ashram , which is in the city and surviving on ashram food...for folks with voracious appetite and a penchant for anything 'unhealthy' you can supplement it with creamy baguettes and pancakes with a steaming cup of coffee for breakfast, or the Tamilian at heart can opt for the the Udipis, there are also some good Vietnamese and Thai restaurants here and of course , beer is real cheap even in good restaurants. so dig in..or shall i say Bon appetit!

For travelling the best mode is hiring a cycle. the trip to auroville is a little strenous, so in case you are not fully geared , hire a shared auto. sightseeing vans also leave the ashram twice a day, hence are a good option.

Details of the places to see(this piece is courtesy http://india.journeymart.com/pondicherry/viaround.htm):

Auroville : Set up in 1926, the ashram has chosen healthy thinking and living as a path of spirituality....with time at ones' disposal , one can explore yoga, meditation or participate in one of the workshops. its an experience in its own. There is an educational centre, which occasionally hosts lectures, screens films and holds play performances.

The French Institute is in a stylish colonial building. It has some remarkable old French books that are very rare. The Romain Rolland library has over 60,000 volumes and overlooks the sea.

Along with the ‘kepis’ capped cops and its streets being called ‘rue’, it is the churches that make the town retain some of its European charm. The church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception or Notre Dame de la Conception is almost 300years old. The church to Our Lady of Angels is famous for an oil painting that was gifted by Napoleon III. The most magnificent however is the grand gothic Sacred Heart Church with 3 stained glass panels of the life of Christ. Just outside town is a copy of the Basilica at Lourdes.

Many temples around Pondicherry are dedicated to Ganesh, the half man half pachyderm god who is the Destroyer of all Obstacles. The oldest ones date back to the 10th century Chola Empire. The Vinaynagar Manakula temple has a golden dome and a collection of 40 beautiful friezes. The temple to the local goddess Drowpattiamman has a fire festival in July-August.

The Botanical Gardens are pleasant for a stroll and the aquarium has a collection of exotic ornamental fish. The Pondicherry Museum has a really eclectic collection of this, that and the other. It has an art collection, Pallava sculptures, handicraft, weaponry, archaeology, geology…and the old French governor Dupleix’s bed, an old palanquin and such interesting odds and ends! The Jawahar Toy Museum has a collection of dolls dressed up to represent every state in India.