AMERICAN DREAM - The Beginning

Year long preparation , saving every penny I earned, cutting down my expense, lots of uncertainties; calling many people to inquire about visa, getting the visa and finally booking my tickets. I could write about all these in five sentences but this was one hell of a roller coaster ride. Who doesn't get excited about going overseas : That too to the land of the American dream; the land that boasts the greatness of Washington, the power epitome of today's world above all , the land that beckons all.

Till the sails are cast and the boat is in water, you( or I) can never be sure of the last minute changes in the plan. Finally the day arrived, I had packed my luggage a week in advance so everything was set on the day of journey.

One of my friends from office had agreed to drop me to the airport; so officially the journey  began. My flight was at 4:15 a.m in the morning and my planned route was Bangalore - Abu Dhabi- Los Angeles. Ideally there shouldn't have been much of a problem for me because I reached almost 2.5 hours early to the airport. But this was the day, the whole of Bangalore decided to catch a flight. There was at-least a thousand people standing for immigration. And yes , it took me almost two hours to complete the whole immigration process.

By the time I reached the departure gates after the security check, the passengers were standing in the queue to board. Well, there were butterflies in my stomach as this was my first lone trip abroad. I boarded the Jet Airways flight to Abu Dhabi, nervous but equally excited.

The trip was peaceful with a very courteous staff offering snacks and drinks at regular intervals. Everyone was catching up some sleep before we land, but I couldn't even close my eyes.Unfortunately there was no video screen to pass my time, so I sat glancing through the only magazine that was available. When that was done, I took the pain to memorize the safety & security check document in front of me.

When the flight finally landed; I was so eager to run out of it because I had just an hour to clear the security, US immigration and US customs. There was again a long queue of people waiting to clear the security check.When I asked an Etihad personnel about my next flight, he told me to run because I had very little time. So that was what I did. I ran.

Since I was a newbie, I tried following people. This was the biggest mistake. If I had opened my eyes and ears, I could have easily switched my lines when the security personnel formed new lines. Instead I stood in the longest queue taking almost 30 mins to just cross the security check. Half way to the US immigration counter, I understood that I had left my watch behind. I ran the whole way back and asked the security personnel screening the luggage, if they had found a watch. Lucky as I was, he had kept the watch aside. I folded my hands and told him a big thank you before I ran back to the US immigration.

One thing about the Abu Dhabi International Airport is that there is a lot of distance to cover between the terminals. So running around the airport is the best way to prepare  your body before a long flight.

On the way to the Custom Clearance, there are multiple security check points. At one of the points, people will be selected randomly for further screening. Being my first time, I got jitters especially when the security took my passport and showed me to a waiting room.He told something about him keeping the passport in broken English and I was taken back. It took me and him sometime to figure out what he meant- he would be keeping the passport till my name was called for security check. All this while, I was running out of time to catch my flight and this hurdle was least expected. 

Once the security check was done, I proceeded to the immigration. I could see some people filling a document, some people standing in a queue. I was clueless of what has to be done so I asked some people who willingly directed me to first fill out the Customs Declaration Form and then proceed to the counter. As my turn reached, I was asked numerous questions by the official and I patiently answered everything with a smile. Finally he said ; " Have fun but not too much". My heart leaped with joy.

The flight to Los Angeles was very long- 14.5 hours. I had chosen the window seat assuming that I could sleep more peacefully. There were two gentlemen next to me who were very helpful through out the flight. I did not know how to use the mini  screen behind the seat in front of me; every time I got stuck- help was right next to me. Whenever I needed to go to the washroom, they got up from their seats and made way for me even when it was in the middle of their sleep without fussing about it.

Long flights can be a real challenge especially if you cant get sleep. I had enough time to watch  at least 7 movies but I chose to watch only two. It tends to be strenuous for the eyes with the dimmed lights and for the ears with the sound of the engine. More than a hundred times during the flight, I checked the flight route and expected time of landing. Rest of the time, I fought with my body to get some sleep , managing a couple of hours of not-so-sound sleep. Flight attendants in Etihad were so polite and made the journey as comfortable as it could be. I had pre-opted for Hindu meal and the meals offered were visually appealing . But my subdued taste buds did no justice to the food and I barely had a mouthful each time.

Finally, there was an announcement that the flight would be shortly landing at the Los Angeles International Airport. I could see the vast expanse of clouds moving away and the land nearing to me. It was 1:30 p.m LA time, when my flight landed. Since the immigration was completed in Abu Dhabi, we were redirected to collect the luggage directly. The walk to the Luggage Claim Area seemed to be so confusing with me asking questions to multiple people and finally tagging along an elderly couple till I reached the baggage claim area.

My friend had told that she would be waiting for me near the exit and my baggage claim area was exactly near that. I tried connecting to the wi-fi but for some reason , it was not working. I went to the help desk and asked the lady if she could help me with the issue. I told her that I needed to call my friend and my phone was not getting connected to the wi-fi." I dont have time for you, ma'm. I will give you this . Try figuring out on your own", with that she gave me a small card with the instruction of how to connect to the wi-fi.

I expected very friendly and helpful people so I was taken back. My phone was still not getting connected to the wi-fi and I had to ask multiple people sitting there.

" My phone is getting connected. Not sure what is happening  with yours" 

" I am sorry. There is a pay phone over there. May be you can use that". 

These were the kind of responses I got. Eventually I decided to get myself some quarters from a money exchange counter. The faces I saw around, were not friendly at all, my spirits were sinking lower and lower as each moment passed by. My friend was not even there near the exit!

Using a pay phone was something foreign to me so I decided to ask an elderly gentleman who was using another payphone. He resembled Samuel L Jackson with a bald head and a cowboy hat. " He must be a very friendly person", I thought to myself.

" Excuse me, Sir? I am not much familiar with the payphone. Can you dial this number for me?" , I asked.

" You get me some change from that counter. Then I will help you", he replied.

This couldn't be true.  I stood there with baffled eyes and again asked the same question . He repeated the same answer. This was not working. So I pretended that I dint understand English and talked to him in broken English. He gave up. He took all the coins from me and dialed the number for me. Unfortunately , my friend was not picking the call. I tried twice with no results. I kept the phone down and thanked him for his help.

" Now you get me some change from that counter", with this he pushed into my hands 50 cents. 

I walked with my head stooped low, I was on the verge of breaking down. I got some quarters and gave it to him and he left without even giving back my coins.  So now, I had no option but to ask fellow Indians for help. I asked some 2-3 people. First couple couldn't find their phone. They almost emptied their whole suitcase in front of me.  The next person I asked, willingly dialed the number for me but my friend was not picking up. I was lost. Did she forget that I was reaching LA today? How will I catch a cab to their home ? I had lots of questions.

I collected my luggage, exited the airport and sat outside waiting for a miracle. After some time, I saw the gentleman who sat next to me on the flight, exiting the airport. I ran to him and told him that I was lost here and if he could help. I almost broke down.

" Calm down! We will find a way." He assured me. This was like the welcome rain in grueling summer.

He tried calling my friend again. I waited with baited breath. 

" Hello".. I heard him say that word and I was ecstatic.

Within minutes, he explained the situation to my friend and after 3 hours of my arrival, I met my friend. I kept saying thanks to my new friend who calmly told me that even he was in the same situation the first time he came to US to meet his wife. He hugged me and wished me a happy vacation before leaving.

This was the beginning of my American Dreams.

TRAVEL TIPS - YELAGIRI

There is more to Yelagiri than what I mentioned in my Yelagiri Travelogue . Wikipedia provides a good summary of the place and the various activities that can be availed in Yelagiri. Its better to go with the plan for overnight stay so that you can see the Fountain Show in the night as well as go for trekking early morning the next day. Below are some tips that can help when planning a trip .

How to Reach?

By Air: Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (194 km) is the closest airport from Yelagiri. Chennai Airport is almost 218 km from Yelagiri.

By Train: Jolarpettai Railway Station( Junction) is just 20 km from Yelagiri and is well connected to major railway stations - Bengaluru, Chennai & Coimbatore. There is a bus stand near to the station from where buses can be availed or a taxi can be hailed to reach Yelagiri.

By Bus: There are buses plying to Yelagiri at regular intervals from Vellore bus stand. 

By Road: This is the best way to travel- by your own car / taxi. Yelagiri is well connected by road to all major cities. Travelling on your own vehicle gives you the luxury of taking breaks and visiting places at your own convenience. Yelagiri is 160 km from Bengaluru via NH48 and 230 km from Chennai via Vellore- Chennai road.

Where to Stay?

There are lots of  options to stay in Yelagiri. You can easily book on Goibibo / Makemytrip / Booking.com etc in advance to avoid last minute "Sold Out" hotels. There are luxury rooms available in Hotels like Landmark Hotel , Marigold Ridge- Sterling hotel which can burn holes in your pocket . These tend to be sold out fast online so book well in advance. There are always plenty of cheaper alternatives like Golden Nest hotel where we stayed, which is affordable for a one night stay with cheap, delicious food.

Courtesy:RB

Things to Do

• Swamimalai Hills: Early morning trek to Swamimalai Hills is a very good experience and should not be missed. There are other lesser known trekking destinations like Javadi Hills & Palamathi Hills nearby.
• Nature Park: Its has a garden with musical fountain. During weekends, there is musical fountain show at 6 p.m in the park.
• Jalagamparai Waterfalls : This is at a 5 km walk from Yelagiri downhill. We did not properly research about this before our trip. So we missed out on this.
• Punganoor Lake Park : It is one of the main attractions in Yelagiri
• Activities: There are small activity arenas where you can indulge in bowling, shooting etc. Don't Expect big facilities like Play Arena(If you are coming from Bangalore).

Things to Remember

• Carry a pair of  good walking shoes for trekking. I forgot to carry one and faced great difficulty while climbing uphill.
• Wear full length trousers/ properly covered clothes. There are lots of snakes in the area.
• Carry plenty of water bottles especially when you go for trekking. There are enough shops in Yelagiri where you can buy snacks and water.
• Talk to the locals.They have a very good knowledge about the hidden treasures of a place.
• Don't Litter.

Weekend Getaway from Bangalore

YELAGIRI - An Unexplored Haven

Day 01:
Most effective of all plans is the last minute plan. I have realised this more than once. Everyone in our gang wanted a break from work. But there was always that one person who would not like the place suggested. So finally I thought of pressurising people to agree to a resort at the least. So Friday evening, we brought up the resort plan. As usual, some did not agree. After a plethora of suggestions and negotiations, some one got the spark " Yelagiri".

Pic Courtesy:RB

That was it. Before even people got the chance to have second thoughts, a zoom car was booked. The plan was so sudden and so unbelievable that one of our friends, who was in Chennai, agreed to come directly to Yelagiri on one condition: " Send me the proof that the car has been booked". Once that was done, people who were initially planning to drink brought their plan a notch down, and we started searching online for places to stay. Looked like , last minute plans have a drawback, all the good hotels were sold out. So,we decided to search for a place after reaching Yelagiri.

The most tedious task for girls going for a trip is to wake up the boys on time and to keep reminding them about the plan. By 11:30, our friends came with a brand new I 20 Zoom car and five of us started on our way to a place, 150km away. The road till Hosur was crowded and it took us almost an hour to come out of the traffic.Occasional pitstops to take unlimited photos, a well maintained wide clean stretch of road , a lunch break at Anand Bavan( most delicious and filling Thali with more than 10 sides)- this was the jist of the travel till Jolarpett.

Our Chennai friend had planned to reach Jolarpett by train and from there to Yelagiri by bus. Since the station was close to our route and the train was expected to reach by 4:30p.m , we agreed to pick him up. Jolarpett railway station was a junction but it looked quite small, less crowded, a lot peaceful as compared to the other Junctions I had been to.  We ended up waiting for almost an hour.

Pic Courtesy : RB

The drive to Yelagiri from Jolarpett was short and scenic. There were twelve hairpins from the foot of the hill to Yelagiri. The road was wide enough to accommodate two lane traffic. But, the hairpins were too sharp requiring the full concentration of the person driving the car.  First task in our hand was to find a place to stay. We drove along the town looking for a clean and affordable place. When we had checked online the previous day, Marigold- Sterling Hotel had amazing reviews and was sold out. Still, we decided to take a chance - there might be last minute cancellations so what if we got lucky.

As it turned out to be, we were not lucky. Next we checked at Nila Palace that had villas and for two rooms, they were charging 14000 bucks. When we told that we were looking for rooms within 3000 bucks, they directed us to the Yelagiri town. That was how we got Golden Nest - with triple sharing rooms rated at 1500 bucks. The place was decent and well maintained with a  small supermarket just outside the hotel( you can buy whatever you want from there) and a small restaurant adjoining it.

We checked in by 6:45p.m with the plan of going for a Musical fountain Show in a near by Nature Park(500 m away from our hotel). By the time we got to the Park by 7:30 p.m, the show had been done with and people were streaming out of the park. We strolled through the small town for a while munching snacks and came back to Golden Nest for a delicious and cheap dinner. 

You would not see the real beauty of a place, till you had gone for a night ride. So we drove to one of the viewpoints along the hairpin curves.  It was really dark with no streetlights on the road. There was no sound other than the constant howling of the chilly wind. The view from there was mind blowing- the town beneath the Hills was glittering like a black sky full of bright stars. After spending almost an hour talking under the stars, we came back to the hotel. I could just remember my head hitting the pillow, we were all fast asleep within minutes.

Day 02:

Pic Courtesy: Soumya

We got up by 6 hoping to catch the sunrise from top of the The Swamimalai Hills. We reached the foot of the hills by 6:45 a.m. It took us hardly 15 minutes by car to reach this place.  We started our trek to the top of the hills by 7 a.m after a quick tea. At the foot of the hills (Mangalam Village) lived a community with closely built houses just an arms distance away from each other.The houses were tiny and tidy , built of concrete and painted in vibrant colours. The ground between the houses were paved by concrete. Every house could serve as a perfect muse to any photographer . Agriculture seemed to be the staple of people there with acres of cultivated land behind the housing colony. Dogs, Pigs, Hens, Cows..it totally encompassed the essence of a village.

The narrow path between the fields took us to the bottom of the hills. The air was fresh, the breeze was cool, sun was still hiding behind the clouds- it was the perfect start to a beautiful day. The climb to the top was rough -   Some of us were not at all prepared - we were wearing slippers which slowed our pace. There were stretches of steps made of rock interspersed by clear gravelled way. Occasionally we climbed up rocks, jumped across  low lying trees , took breaks to catch our breath and posed for photos.

Pic Courtesy: Soumya

Finally after an hour and a half we reached the top of the hill. It was cold and beautiful. There was a small temple and some villagers who had crossed us on our way to the top, were sitting there with fruits and lime juice. It felt rejuvenating having these refreshments after a very rigorous cardio- that too at a very very cheap price. The view from the top was amazing- miles and miles of greenery all around, mountains and trees and the clear blue sky - I felt I could touch the sky. There was a rock on top of the mountain and we had to climb up an iron ladder to reach on top of it.

I was so scared of heights and my mind was battling two opposing thoughts- whether to climb or not. I kept thinking whether I would be missing an opportunity to fight out my fear. Finally, I let the fear run away and took the plunge. It was even cooler at the top.The wind was getting stronger, our camera bag almost flew away. There were railings around the rock to protect us from flying off. More and more people started climbing up that rock, so we decided to come down.

After spending close to an hour at the zenith, we started trekking back to the village. This was when the muscles started giving up and we realised the after effects of our sedentary lifestyle. On our way down, we met a girl whose ankle got twisted. Her boyfriend was the most considerate man I have ever met. Half the time, he carried her piggyback and remaining time , other people( including some of our guyfriends) acted as supports so that she dint have to put effort on her ankle. This delayed our descent. When we reached the foothill, we met a typical hardworking family. The lady of the house and the kid were sitting on the side of the path to the hills selling mangoes, buttermilk and other fruits. The man of the house was ploughing the field- a sight I had not seen in the past 20 years of my life. I was touched by the sheer hard work put in to make the ends meet.

Pic Courtesy:RB

We reached the hotel by 11 a.m, hungry and tired. The breakfast counter was almost closing. With the limited options, we ate king sized meals. We were supposed to check out at 1p.m giving us just an hour to freshen up and pack our bags. Most of us took a quick nap in that time and our hosts were gracious enough to extend the checkout time by an hour. After we checked out, we decided to try out a Play Arena called " Funville". This was just opposite our hotel so we walked across.

The pamphlets lying outside boasted of several activities like GTV, Water Zorbing, Shooting, Archery, Zip lining, Go Karting etc. We were all excited and fully charged up- there was a Go Kart race in our minds. As soon as we got to the place, our energy level plummeted. The place was very small- GTV did not have any tracks, there was just one Kart and one small track for Go- Karting , the lake for boating was a small pond . One of the guys tried GTV  and three people tried Go Karting. The only activity that we all loved was shooting  targets. We got 10 shots each to bring 10 bottles down that too for 50 bucks. Some of us tried a hand at this over and over again.

We started our trip back to Bangalore by 4p.m. Dropped our Chennai friend at the railway station, took a teak break on the way(at a small hotel which charged 25bucks for a small cup of tea) - Inspite of all this, we reached Bangalore by 7:30 p.m. This marked the end of yet another - Trip to Remember.

WITHOUT WINGS

As I pecked my way out of the shell

I was blinded for a moment by the world outside.

Slept a little, walked a lot

I was born without wings.

"You are a bird; you have to fly"

Voices kept ringing from all directions

I tried to flap my tiny wings in vain,

And drowned my head ,each time, in shame.

Dreams of flying kept me awake

And one day, I took my first flight

Soaring high ,I flew across the seven seas

There I was, living my dream.

" You shouldn't be flying. You are not a bird"

Interminable echoes clouded my senses

"It is a nightmare, open your eyes"

I repeated to myself.

It was not long, before my wings were cut.

I don't fly, I crawl , I walk

May be someday;

I will fly without my wings.

BREATHLESS

Breathless as I was
Tears dripping down my cheeks
Desperate to let my voice be heard
I struggled to let out out a cry
Words got stuck
Choking me more
I could see the light dimming
And the world dancing in my eyes
I saw my end as close as it can be
Unseen claws strangling me
I fought
Straining till my throat tore apart
I managed a word
Gathering the little strength
I screamed..
A Never ending screaming
Earth shook
Skies rumbled
It began to rain!

STILLNESS OF BEING

Life was not always still
It was the noise and pomp
Celebrations, never ending talks
Smiles, laughter
Occasional fights
Everyone tells life is short
But no one told me joys are short
Do I blame them?
No, I dont
Its just my naive being that forgets
Life is not life anymore
Its silence and more silence
The occasional rings from unknown numbers
That is what life is
The Stillness of my being!

Weekend Getaway from Bangalore

GOA - Poor man's Ibiza

Bangalore- Belgaum- Jamboti ( Belgaum - Goa highway)- Keri(querim)-Bacholim- Mapusa- Panjim - Old Goa- Baga- Calangute- Vasco- Verna - Palolem- Gokarna -Hubli - Gokarna - Bangalore

Day 01

Pic Courtesy:RB

Last minute plans, last minute ticket booking, last minute rush..this is what is expected when you go for a trip with friends, that too with crazy friends like mine. I became a part of this journey unexpectedly hence they booked ticket for me in the end. We started off by 10:15 p.m from our place to catch 11:30 p.m bus. As expected we had to ask the cab driver to return midway to our place . And the reason for this: Our very good friend forgot to take his camera and once he got the camera in his hands, he realised that it doesn't have a memory card.

This led to the inevitable result, we got stuck in the traffic. The traffic hardly moved for 15 minutes and we thought we would have to photoshop our pictures into goan beaches to show our friends. After all, some of us boasted to others about our impending exciting weekend adding that we pitied their boring plans. Fortunately, our driver rode through all the inner roads and evaded the traffic so we reached on time.

As soon as we reached,I received another jolt. Since my ticket was booked in the end, I got seat in a separate bus. My bros were really concerned about this. They talked with the travel operators but they dint allow the swapping of buses since mine was a ladies seat. They agreed to make arrangements to let us all travel together. Unfortunately there were two buses and many people travelling to Goa, so had to breakaway from the gang and travel solo. The agent assured that the buses are going together along the same route.

Day 02

The next morning midway through the journey, I realised that my bus was taking an entirely different route than the other. Sigh, these people!

Though a bit hesitant at first, I started enjoying the journey. Finally time for myself- away from the familiar faces, away from the exploding thoughts , away from the digitally connected world. The beauty of sitting near the window of a bus as it traverse through town after town, hairpin curves , misty mountains and never ending greenery is indescribable.

Isn't it magical  to witness mist turning into tiny water drops as it kisses the window? It was sheer joy travelling alone to a place that I have never been before. Since my bus left me with the only option of getting down at Panjim, my gang of brothers also agreed to come all the way to meet me so that our travel gang is complete.

Plan got revised a bit in the end. I enjoyed my solo trip so much that I ventured to get down at Panjim and find my way to Ponda on my own. I asked a policeman for the bus stand and found a bus to Ponda. It was too exciting.

The roads were so narrow, it reminded me of my hometown. The buses were smaller and could hardly accommodate 30-35 people. Nevertheless, what better way to start knowing GOA.

Pic Courtesy:RB

I got down in Ponda bus station and waited for my friend to come and pick me up. And finally we reached home and had some yummilicious food.After the lunch, we headed to St Francis Xaviers( Basilica of Bom Jesus) in old Goa where the remains of Saint Francis Xavier was kept. It was pretty crowded and if you intended for a quiet prayer time, this was not the place for you. But the church is magnificant. After seeing the remains of another old church, which is a shooting destination of many films, we headed to Panaji, a scenic drive along the Mandovi river.

After second guessing about the beaches we want to visit, roaming around a bit and many wrong turns to the wrong route, we finally arrived at the tourist's paradise: BAGA beach. The pumping music and the teaming crowd welcomed us.

I loved the feel of water on my feet and the sand beneath my feet. After walking to and fro on the beach, I sat on the beach alone while my friends went for a beach run.  The sound of the waves , the blasting music, nature at its splendor on a lovely evening took me back the memory line, sea of emotions, swarm of familiar faces that are unfamiliar now and all those wonderful moments that are just memories.

It was getting darker and finally after hours, my friends came back after their short turned long run from Baga to Calangute beach.We had light but tasty appetizers for dinner overlooking the beach .The music was blasting from the various shacks but I felt it was really quiet. Something kept brewing in my mind.

We scurried across the narrow paths guessing our way back to the car. For some reason, we never felt like asking someone for the route. But, our wild guesses led us to the right place. I remember getting in the car and closing my eyes. When I opened my eyes, we were home.

Day 03

When in Goa, no one sees mornings. But we thought of starting our day at the earliest . We broke conventions. One of our friends who worked in the outskirts of Karnataka , also joined us. So our gang became " the not so famous FIVE".  Our guide cum friend cum driver took us to an unexplored view point from where we could see beach line. " If you are silent; you can hear the waves talking to you". We tried it but we understood that our non stop chatter made the view more pleasurable to the eyes.

Pic Courtesy:RB

Then we proceeded to the heart shaped Blue Lagoon in Vasco , nestled on the exteriors of a mini forest. There was a narrow path leading to this wonderful place, a perfect getaway to swim and relax with a couple of beers. Those who don't swim like me, can sit on the ledges and watch the waves crashing against the rocks. We went when the sun was burning upon us but this did not steal the thunder from this magical secluded place. Special mention to two of my bros: One had enough and more Fenny and other had a big bottle of wine by this time and both of them were in the highest spirits. Fenny man called himself a dragon on fire and kept asking for ice.

After this , we went for a stomach filling lunch near the Verna Industrial Area. The sea food meal( Portugese seafood Thali) had a wide variety of delicacies of fish, shell fish, crab and it blew away my mind completely.  " Wine man " and the guide had prawn allergies, Still they went ahead and feasted on the spread. So the outcome: Wineman felt the break of an allergic reaction,  had a glass of salted lime water and proclaimed himself " fine as butter" after self treatment. The guide drove us and himself to a hospital because he felt a stronger allergic reaction to prawns. Dragon man was completely sloshed and passed out in the car, claiming " he was fully conscious inside."

Pic Courtesy:RB

Guide got an injection for his allergy and we continued our Goa expedition. Our next destination was Chapora Fort. It was a long drive and Dragon man started being his normal self again. To reach the Fort, we climbed a small hill and the final view was worth every penny spend on the travel. The remains of the fort walls stretched across miles and served as the seat for sea-watching. The hill with the fort on top, was covered by evergreen meadow on all the sides interspersed by small rocks and beyond this was the sea. The sun was setting , the breeze was cool and after a while, It started drizzling a bit. What more do I want in life?

I felt all the bruises within me starting to heal. If I had the option of building a small house there and stay forever, I would do it. Every minute spend there, was worth it. Till it grew dark, we stayed there and had to use the mobile torch to trek down the hill. On the way back, we got in a resto bar and sat for sometime listening to music. I loved that place with soothing music and beautifully decked interiors. The crowd was classy and it felt good.

After a long drive to Panaji, we had our dinner at the Ritz , a well known place for Goan cuisine. The food was good , ambience was good and we topped this off with quality time near the waterfront facing the Casinos. It was midnight when we reached home , just in tine for a sound sleep.

Day 04

This was our last day in Goa.We continued our tradition of starting early. We headed southwards to Palolem beach. The beach, somehow did not seem to attract many Indian tourists, but could spot lot of foreign tourists. It was quieter and we pretty much had the beach to ourselves. Dragon and Wineman went to the sea to cool off and became a darker version of themselves. I loitered along the beachline letting the water kiss my feet, listening to the waves, talking to the sea god and collecting the perfect gifts from the sea- sea shells.

Pic Courtesy:RB

We spend half the day in that quiet beach chilling in a shack, and then proceeded to Gokarna. Our first pit stop was Om Beach that was pretty famous with hippies. There were trees on both sides of the small path leading to the beach and small steps to climb down to the beach. It looked more and more beautiful as we climbed down one step at a time. There were big rocks jutting into the sea giving it the shape of Om. Even though these rocks added charm to the beach , it made the beach dangerous. There were warning signs everywhere asking people not to venture into the waters because of whirlpool. Did the beach mesmerise me? I would say ," No" but the drive to the beach was exhilarating.

Pic Courtesy:RB

Like Goa, Gokarna is known for its beaches. We drove to the top of a hill facing the beach and watched the sunset. It was not crowded but there were people smoking up here and there. We started off to our last stop for the night- Hubli. The drive to Hubli was through miles and miles of forest. Night was falling and the road was deserted, it was scary yet thrilling. Deep inside I knew that, if the car broke down somewhere, it was dangerous. The fact that the chances of going for a trip like this was almost nil in the future, strengthened my will to overcome my fears.

We reached Hubli by 9:30 and had the tastiest dinner at "Bougainvilla"- a cosy , homely , well furnished, artistically decked restaurant. I felt like eating and not stopping. After a heavy dinner, we crashed at our friends place and I was in deep sleep within seconds.

Day 05

The final stop before heading back to Bangalore was Dandeli. The road from Hubli to Dandeli was not well developed and it slowed our journey. In addition to that, the delay in finding a petrol bunk and ATM further hampered our pace.

Finally when we reached Dandeli, we asked a traffic police for directions to rafting area. He directed us to a Tours Operator who told us that rafting was not permitted because of bamboo shafts falling into the waters and these will be trimmed only by November. So we decided to try our hand at kayaking. The operator gave us a package of Rs 250 per person for 1 hour. I was scared of deep waters, but my inner voice urged to conquer my fears.  

The Bison Resort which had facilities for water sports was further 25-30 km from the town, deep inside a forest. It was difficult to find the resort with no mobile network  and we heavily relied on the judgement of human civilization we met occasionally on the way. Trust me, when I say that if someone tells you 2 kms, it means five times more distance.

Finally we arrived at the resort. Here we got to know that, generally Kayaking was for just half an hour. Wineman bargained a lot and they extended our time to 45 minutes. As soon as they saw the small boats, bros jumped in and started clicking pictures. They kept going beyond the boundary set for us and really made use of the 45 mins.We had a guide who kept a watch on us. I was scared of deep water so I hardly rowed far from the guide. I kept calling out to him to keep a watch on me .

My muscles started hurting so I retired from the waters well before the allowed 45 minutes. After this, we started off to Bangalore by 3 p.m. We were singing on our way back and the drive through the golden quadrilateral road from Dharwad to Bangalore was amazing. The blue skies, green earth and a straight well tarred clean road, it was bliss. Since I was the centre of entertainment, I had to talk non stop when bros started feeling sleepy. In between, we stopped to have food from KFC in Davangere and this was the only break we took. By the time we reached Bangalore, it was after midnight. This brought the end of a memorable trip.

MARRIAGE - Through the Eyes of a Girl

I asked myself and many people around me the perks of getting married; the following were my findings:

A girl has to get married so that she can give birth to the next generation and sustain the lineage. Really? Is it important to give birth to a kid, in a country fighting against the booming population. Is it important to give birth to a kid when you know that there are kids out their who just need someone to call as family?

A girl should get married so that there is someone to take care of her. After all the cooking, cleaning , washing clothes , buying grocery, setting up house and taking care of kids; is a girl getting the care of someone or is she taking care of someone?

A girl should get married so that she gets companionship in life. What are pets for then? A dog/ cat who is there by your side all day long provides the best companionship that no man in the world can provide. To be honest, most of the guys in the world need their space, I mean everyday. They want to spend time with their friends or need to be alone most of the time except at night when suddenly they have their need for companionship from their wives.

A girl should get married because on her own, she can't pay the bills. A strong independent ambitious girl can reach anywhere in life and can earn equivalent to or more than her male counterparts. So she doesn't need a man who is just an ATM with free cash to run her home.

A girl should get married because there won't be anyone to take care of her when she is old.What are old age homes for then? Anyone who has enough savings can enroll in a good old age home and get the care she wants.

So, don't tell me that a girl should get married in this world where we fight for woman empowerment and equal rights. No girl is weak and no man is required to complete or fulfill the needs of a girl.