HOP...SKIP...& BUMP!

It didn't take us too long to reach Bangalore. Maybe three hours precisely. All throughout the journey I kept wondering how the three weeks went by. Those twenty one days of non stop backpacking travel. Experiences were varied and unique - both pleasant and otherwise. But whatever they were they were all enriching nevertheless!
By 6.30 we were in Bangalore, the PUB capital of India. It was 31st of December and we knew we had to party till we dropped dead!
Bangalore is a place we did nothing else but partied, hopped pubs, did a lot of hip shakin!
The best places we hanged around was 180 proof & Pub World. Purple Haze was good, but then the crowd there was too peppy. Whereas 180 & Pub World seemed more like us - RETRO!
We stayed in Bangalore for 3 days. The routine went something like this - we slept & lazed around the whole day. By evening we would get ready to rock & roll...
& it was the first time in the three weeks I realized how much my back ache was severe!!!
On 3rd Jan 2001 Aerosmith & Ashima took the Karnataka Express to go back to Delhi.
I was to catch the 11.30 p.m Bangalore Express to Guwhati. There was still good four more hours to spend. Called up a friend. Put my stuff in the lockers and then we pub hopped again!

After having a very relaxed time both in Kovalam & Alleppey we decided to explore some more places before we hit our final destination Bangalore.
Ooty – it was decided unanimously amongst the three of us. So once decided we gathered ourselves and our bags and got moving to the local bus terminus. The journey I knew would not be smooth and it reminded me of the Pondi to Kanyakumari expedition!
It took us quite a long time to reach Ooty. We found ourselves again in the state of Tamil Nadu. But this time it wasn’t the sun or the heat. Ooty was chilly & pleasant. For the first time in this entire journey I wore my pullovers again – it was in the corner of my bag. I wore it till New Jalpaiguri only!
But someone I didn’t find Ooty interesting. Or more so as because I belong to a place of hills… of tea leaves and so much of natural surroundings.
We stayed in Ooty for less than twenty four hours. The hotel we took up was disgustingly dirty… could not sleep on the bed too… I still get the pukish feeling!

The very next day we boarded the bus to Mysore. How could be believe there was some more adventure in store for us? As we were on the suburbs, there was a long traffic jam and it was getting dusk. On enquiring the driver found out that there was a road blockade as attempts were being made by the police departments of both the states of Karnataka & Tamil Nadu to nab Veerappan! So we were to take a short cut! The short cut was so topsy turvey and the driver drove the bus so fast that weh ad to clutch on to our seats so that we won’t fall off!

On the way we crossed the Bandipur National Park. Bandipur is about 80 kms south of Mysore on the Mysore-Ooty Road. The reserve is a playground for wildlife, with elephants taking the lead role. You might see a tiger prowling amidst the mix of deciduous, evergreen forest and scrubland vegetation. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the enchanting Niligiri Mountains with its mist-covered peaks, Bandipur was once the Mysore Maharaja’s private hunting ground. It was brought under Project Tiger in 1973. This is one of the best game sanctuaries in India to observe and photograph wildlife in close proximity.

We reached Mysore early in the morning. Mysore was a pleasant experience for us. Mysore is one of the major cities of Karnataka. Today, Mysore is a vibrant city teeming with tourists and visitors. It is known the world over for its exotic sandalwood and rich silks.
We visited the The Maharaja's Palace which is one of the important sights in Mysore. Built in Indo-Saracenic style with domes, turrets, arches and colonnades, the Palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world. Intricately carved doors open on to luxuriously furnished rooms. The majestic Durbar Hall has an ornate ceiling and many sculpted pillars. The magnificent jewel studded golden throne of the Wodeyars is displayed here during the Dasera festival. Illuminated on Sundays and public holidays, the palace presents a spectacle of breathtaking beauty.
Another amazing monument was the St. Philomena's Church. A beautiful Cathedral, reminiscent of medieval architectural style,is one of the largest churches in the country. Built in the gothic style,the Church is an imposing structure with stained glass windows and lofty towers.
We could not stay in Mysore for too long. Not even a single more minute. For, the date was 31st of December and we knew where the party would be. It was around four a clock in the afternoon that we packed our bags once more and headed to our final destination – Bangalore!

We hopped in a bus early in the morning. And the journey was just getting better. As we crossed borders from Tamil Nadu and entered Kerala, a striking difference could be felt and seen. Wherein Tamil Nadu was warm and dry and the landscape brownish, Kerala seemed more humid and flooded with greenery. I thought to catch up on my lost sleep but the countryside was so picturesque, my sleep took a back seat.
It took us about four hours to reach Trivandrum. We checked in at a hotel near the Railway Station. The room was clean and the bathroom was even cleaner. We gobbled up some breakfast and set out to go to Kovalam beach. Situated on the Malabar Coast along the Kerala shoreline, Kovalam is one of the most beautiful stretch of beaches in India. We galloped on a local bus to reach there. The drive was good. Once in Kovalam, it was sheer fun. It was pre-Christmas and the entire area and people were in a festive mood.
We stated in Trivandum for 3 days. Our routine was something like this – we would go tot the beach early in the morning – laze and lounge around there for the whole day and by dusk return to the secure shell of our room.
The beaches of Kovalam can be divided in three parts. The southern most beach and the most popular from the three, is the Lighthouse Beach. Further south on the beach one can have a spectacular view of the Vizhinzam mosque, but photography is prohibited here.
The middle beach is called Hawah. Each morning this beach acts as a base for the local fisherman. The northern most beach, Samudra, is least affected of all by the changing times. It is dotted with few rudimentary wooden fishing vessels.

Our next stopover was Alleppey. And Boy! It was the way I imagined when I read Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things.
It instantly became one of my favourite hideouts! I know I’ll come over and over again to this place.
Alleppey or Alappuzha is also known as the "Venice of the East" it’s was here that traders from across the seven seas came in search of black gold and souvenirs. Alappuzha or Alleppey is also home to Kuttanad, The rice bowl of Kerala, one of the very few places in the world where farming is done below sea level. In Alleppey or Alappuzha, the life revolves around water. Children learn to swim before they walk. They learn to row boats before they bicycle. They learn their first lesson from the school of fish.

From Alleppy to where - we pondered, we thought and then finally decided to go to Ooty...