How To Look At Travel

a step from you
a step from me
and we'll make it a dance.

a smile cherished
some notes exchanged
friendships forged in a glance.

the new explored
the old adored

time brings with it that chance

a question answered
answers questioned
as you slip into a trance

Wrote this for Linger - thats what we hope people do when they come over.

Chennai, By Bike!

Nopes, I did not go cycling all 350 kms! But have stumbled upon a wonderful way of getting around when visiting different places for meetings, family trips or just plan going seeing them.

I needed to travel to Chennai for a short meeting yesterday. The plan was to catch an overnight Volvo, find a place to shower/change, wrap up the meeting and take an afternoon bus back again. The meeting was someplace in Thoraipakkam, about 20kms or so from the centre of Chennai. The dreadful tales people recount when they speak of Chennai's infamous autokaarans were enough to make me, very obviously non-native, very very nervous. Cabs would be very expensive. And given the paucity of time, figuring out buses and shared-autos was not a viable solution.

An then, just a few hours before I left, it occurred to me that I could take a bike along! 20kms is hardly anything esp given Chennai's flatness. Yes, there was the weather to contend with - but I'd be getting there early in the morning, had access to a guest house for a few hours and was planning to shower anyhow. A little extra sweat is hardly a deterrent for a biker.

Next, what bike? My Merida would be the most familiar, but a little large - and the bus guys end up (unfairly) charging for it. I remembered Ravi's bike rental venture - and found theBTwin Hoptown at 200/- a day over weekdays. Perfect!

The BTwin Folder awaiting the Volvo

The bus dropped me off near Chennai Central - and it was actually quite pleasant in the morning! I'd been told autos would take 40-60 minutes to get to my destination depending on traffic. I got there in 50mins, despite many stops to ask for directions (btw, Google maps + GPS on Android helps a lot!) Without pushing at all since I was trying to sweat as little as possible. Saw a lot more of Chennai than I ever have, and got a good morning workout without no extra time spent. And its great to have endorphins and positive energy in your system before a meeting.

One curious thing : everyone I asked for directions - even 5-6 kms before the destination - first started with telling me "oh but thats faaar" (I do follow a little Tamil so could get this much even from the vernacular interactions) Its surprising how the notion of distances has changed in our cities, and how difficult people think cycling is.

Got in, showered, had a good meeting (or it seemed like that given my happy state) and got out of there. Fortunately, all morning had some cloud cover - but it got sunny on the ride out to Koyambedu, from where all the buses leave. I was advised to take an alternative, though slightly longer route by one of my biker friends in Chennai so encountered little traffic till I got into Guindy. Upto that point, the air itself never felt hot (unlike in the heat of the northern plains) though the sun was strong. Sunglasses helped, but I never got too uncomfortable.

Similar story with the bus guys on the way back. This time, a bunch of fellow passengers got excited about the bike as well - a couple even test rode it around there as we waited for the bus. Had a bus change owing to an issue with a brand new Isuzu and got a comfortable, but slow sleeper. Got to Silk Board at 11ish, and unfolded - with excited auto guys helping out - and rode back home.

The folding bicycle is a terrific tool. Benefits :

• Its easy to put into a bus, and takes up as much space as a large suitcase, and is lighter too! Obviously the bus guys charged me nothing for it when I just said "my luggage" and handed it over :)
• Its a major conversation starter! The bus guys were only to happy help load it. Everyone wanted to know more. Even the auto guys at Silk Board (on the way back), instead of being disappointed about the loss of business, atually tried helping out unfolding it! (Not that you need help - it takes just a couple of minutes and is a breeze).
• Its pretty fast for city traffic - despite smaller wheels. The gear ratios are different from your regular MTB, and changes are quick and easy.

If you need to make outstation trips, this is a good way to carry your own transport along! Mumbai might be a little too large if you have to travel a lot for meetings, but for most cities, this is a great option.

Otoh, if you're travelling into Bangalore - give Ravi a buzz and get a bike delivered at your doorstep for the duration of your visit. Freedom from autowallahs, the ability to go-anywhere, and getting to know the city much better are huge payoffs. And you're getting your dose of exercise even when you travel.

As you might have noticed, am totally smitten with the idea. Both, of the folder itself, as well as the idea of carrying it around when travelling!

Crash Boom Bang

Wanted to go to Wayanad/Coorg for a weekend. Left around 8:40, got the helmet beading fixed and refuelled right after Bidadi.

Wrist still hurts, so here's copying from a mail i'd sent out earlier to folks:

ran into an innova. nobody/nothing serious but everything/me hurt.
innova at a u turn with indicators a km after wonderla, me switches to left lane.
innova swings to the left as i get close (later realized he was swinging to accomodate his huge turning radius) and i move to the right.
he moves to right too.... braaaaaaaaakkkkkkkeeeee.
Boom (probably at 40-50ish) and the Pulsar's tyres and fork took a lot of it, and the Innova took the rest. Me flew onto the rear windscreen or thereabouts (tough to be precise abt these moments, really) and helmet took the windscreen out, and the sheet metal made glorius contact with my pelvic region, thighs.
Me on the road - ppl around - get up - things moving! Specs ok, jeans dont even have a scratch, hands, fine.
Someone points to the chin/neck - thick drops of blood, and pieces ox ex-indicator from the Innova around two smi-deep wounds. Wash, wash, wash, drink water, Innova guys help me catch my breath.
Some says hospital/stictch and all that. I just sit.
Innova guys were on their way to Kerala too and had decided to take a u-turn for breakfast.
Both said sorry to each other - and i guess both of us had indeed screwed up.
Called wife (who was on her way to Vadakara for a rendezvous) and asked her to return to Tvm.
My right wrist hurt a little and palm felt sore. So pleaded with Venkat to send help to pick bike.
Finshed some juice i had, felt ok, ate chikki, washed some more blood. Meanwhile Innova guys said bye after confirming with me if i'd be alright.
AutoSvc guys, one rode the bike, i went pillion on the other. Interceptor charged the guy 300/- for 74kmph
Went to AS and to the hospital closeby - got an ATS in the rearside, wounds cleaned and dressed and hazaar antibiotics etc. That *really* scared me.
Anyhow - took an auto back home. Visions of a great weekend mauled and oh-man-what-do-i-do-for-3-days

-now on my mind.

Oh well

Now that I look back at it - the hit was probably at 20-25, and I must have braked hard enough by then. The bike was actually ridden back to Banashankari, None of my clothes, jacket etc had even a major scratch - and even after one night I'm not hurting too badly. The wrist is still sore but given how the crash happened, got away cheap.

First "proper" crash in my riding life - there've been a couple of the usual city - scrapes and slides but nothing really. Partly a funny and late overtaking manouvre, partly my error of judgement, partly mushy front brakes.

But for all you riders out there, invest in good quality safety gear - it really really helps. Not just a helmet, but a good jacket, riding pants and possibly even boots. I do not have the last two and that will soon be corrected. The jacket and helmet surely saved me majorly. I could not believe I had such (relatively) little injury when I saw the Innova later - possibly also its crumple zone or whatever ?

Anyhow - my long solo ride's still pending...

Wayanad

Did a quick dash to Wayanad and back over the weekend - a rather rough-it-out stay in the Banasurasagar Hills - a tiny house under construction with a mat+sleeping bag for acco, instant noodles ("Magic") for dinner and some tough-by-our-sedentary-lifestyle-standards mini-trek up the hill in the evening and early morning to see the place. Also went to the Banasurasagar Dam after a driver through some very pretty roads.

More pics here.

Uttarakhand Trip: Part I (Blore-Corbett)

Took a long vacation from Apr 15th-Apr 30th - Akshat had vacations, there was a wedding to attend in Meerut and it'd been a loong time since a proper long break.

Brief Triplog:

15th - 17th : The Sampark Kranti from Yeswantpur-Delhi via Pune takes forever.

Of course, we had all six berths to ourselves for nearly half the journey, and the kids totally loved it. Train trips are still a perfect way to start a long vacation - destress, catch up on a book, talk a lot, have numerous cups of chai, see the countryside...At Delhi our cab guy - Kulvinder Singh - met us as planned, and we had a decent looking Indica for our trip. Amazingly, all the luggage fitted into the boot despite my fears to the contrary.

Apr 17th-18th: Meerut

Cousin's wedding at Meerut. Apparently there'd been some rains up in the hills, and the plains were much cooler than one had feared. The groom was at one time from Jamshedpur, and recounting known people, places and common histories was fun with their family.

Apr 19th: Meerut - Ramnagar - Kaladhungi

Left Meerut early morning towards Mawana. Nice and cool - Kulvinder insisted the Moradabad route would have way more traffic, and someone had assured him of an equally short, quicker route via Bijnor. We hit a few back roads from Bijnor - towards Kashipur. Most roads were decent, if narrow. We made quick progress. Shubha was enthralled by the wheat being harvested/threshed all along. Vast, flat plains of wheat, sugar looked pretty indeed.

There's a US Nagar, UK!! Thats Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand :) A little into this district, we stopped for breakfast - our first Aloo Paranthas for the trip, with fresh curd and tea.

A little later the surroundings got less flat, though not quite hilly. There were also sporadic traces of woods as we got a little beyond Kashipur - and lots of things started getting called Corbett this or that. Soon a sign welcomed us to "Corbett City" and we were in Ramnagar.


Staying inside the Corbett National Park (the Dhikala FRH being the best place for this) needed arrangements to made by faxing a request etc at least a month and a half in advance, we had picked the KMVN place at Kaladhungi, about 30kms from Ramnagar, for our stay. The resorts outside the park, mostly along the road to Dhangarghi Gate are quite nice (most sell the banks of the Kosi as their USP) but quite expensive, especially in the context of a long drawn vacation across the region. Kaladhungi also offered other charms - being the winter home for Corbett. His house there has been converted into a museum dedicated to him. The village he bought there (and later gifted to the locals, who revere and adore the man even today) was named "Chhoti Haldwani".

We had been advised - over the phone - to come in a day earlier and ensure our permits/reservations for a Gypsy or bus safari inside the NP. The Visitor Centre was a very confusing place, but we soon realized that we'd have to turn up before 6am, when they open, and stand in queue to get ourselves into the "Canter" Safari list or to get a permit so we could hire a Gypsy.

Ok, here's the dope on the permit/safari deals for future time-constrained visitors:

1. They allow some 30 vehicles on every trip - twice a day. The enrty timings for these are 6:30am and 2:30pm or so. The vehicles are allowed in the Bijrani range and "lesser" places. To travel around Dhikala in a private/hired vehcile, you need to be staying inside. The permits are cheap - though scarce - and the Gypsys cost about a 1000/- or thereabouts for a 3 hour trip.
2. The Park organizes "Canter" rides - these are open bus-like vehicles with stepped seating and good views all around. The vehicles-on-hire guys tell you that these are noisy diesels and scare all the animals away. The Park and KMVN guys tell you that these are your best bet since if you're staying outside the park, this is the only way to get deep into the park - near Dhikala, where the reservoir and hence most animals are (esp in the drier seasons). The ride lasts a little under 6 hours, and I'd agree with the latter view after our experience. Of course, sightings are all a matter of chance - and just the experience of the deep woods and driving through the place itself are a treat.

Best time to visit Corbett is supposed to be mid Feb-mid March. Here's a link for reservations. The recommended way is to fax a request, receive a confirmation and send them a DD etc. About 2 months in advance, ideally.

So off we went to Kaladhungi, had a huge room with 2 double beds to ourselves for a mere 400/- and walked around town. Owing to some local elections, the Muesum was closed though we walked around its gardens and caught up with a little of Jim Corbett's amazingly diverse, rich life. The man did a lot in his life - from serving in the war, to being a Railway guy. But he was at his core a man who loved and loved the forests of Kumaon, spoke the language of the people, understood that of the animals, and took it upon himself to protect these.






Earlier in the afternoon we had visited the Corbett Falls about 5 kilometres from Kaladhungi. Nice pretty place with the falls

With no real restaurants around, we walked up the few metres to the end of Kaladhungi looking for tea, and an Aunty's Chai Stall near the culvert at the end of the village on the road towards Nainital became our defacto place.

We took the Canter, eventually, and had a lovely few hours inside the park.

Some Pix: