It was good that we did not get Ashwin his #5 and #7. The policemen at the inter-state check post got us all out of the car and frisked every bag and pouch in it. It was finally Colli who chandlered them to let us go. 'Hum bahut acha loug hai'.
Karnataka must be given a special award for its roads. We drove at 90 kmph until the Goa side of the checkpost but lugged along at 30 kmph on the other side. It was confusion time once again as we came to an intersection. We as usual were divided on the road to travel. The locals adviced us to travel to Belgaum and then head to Hospet. Apparently the zen would not survive the shorter route.
From there on (Londa) to Belgaum, cellphones were our saviours as we were updated from back home every half hour on the road to go. I have always loathed Airtel. This is because, while I was surviving BITS, all my friends here were happily cementing new girlfriends with their phones and I hated being denied the opportunity just because we did not have a cell phone tower until we got to our final year. But for once, now, I say 'Airtel Everywhere'.
Karnataka is the land of bad roads; and trucks. I have never seen that many trucks in one night. I must have easily seen over a thousand of them. It is also the place to get the stereotyped image of the rash truck driver out of your head. I have never seen a more organised fleet of trucks moving in symphony hour after hour at the same speed. Infact it felt more secure to be travelling between the trucks than behind a bus or a car.
The security did not last long as the front tyre burst. It was 10 pm and the closest village was 15 kms away. It was 2 am by the time we changed tyres, found a hotel to stay for the night, dined and raised a toast to mark a yet another exciting day. It was a long way from Belgaum as we pulled the blankets over our heads.
28 March 2008
26 March 2008
My motorcycle diaries - The missing NH205
Balan and Nirmal's combined threats to leave me behind if I rode the motorcycle to Goa made me abandon the plan. Although Balan had consented to travelling to Pondicherry on our bikes, he has never had the time since he started to prepare for his k-interviews. Nirmal has vowed never to ask for travel plans ever since I told him that we should ride upto Rameshwaram on a weekend.
The best I could possibly think of to get my bike on to the highway was to sneak out without anyone's knowledge. I managed to do that this good friday. I decided to ride to Kone falls, which is on the way to Tirupati. A 2 minute search on google maps revealed that the falls is in Andhra Pradesh and is about 150 kms from my apartment. My apartment - Mount Road - North Madras - NH5 - NH205 - Kone Falls.
It was more than 25 kms before I crossed Chennai. The 4 laned NH5 is a fantastic road to ride. I could consistently keep the speedometer locked at 90kmph. It is however good to keep an alert foot over the brake as many truck drivers seemed like former pizza delivery boys. They just won't stick to one lane. Lack of trees on the highway also meant that it was very windy for a comfortable ride in some sections.
Unlike Karnataka, the signboards were in English. Infact it was hard to find jelabis. However, the signboards were few and very hard to find. The NH205 never came and I realised at one point that I was travelling quite close to Nellore.
I thanked myself for having honed my 'objective' language skills during the trip to Goa and Hampi. "Tirupati". "Kone Falls". "Falls". All fingers pointed to the direction I had driven from. All fingers pointed to Tada. I did not know that there existed a place called Tada and I did not know there was a falls in Tada. It was the Ubbalamadugu falls - around 20 kms off the highway through mud roads and boulders; plus a trek up the mountains.
I skipped the trek. I had not eaten since the night before and a 5 km trek on a man-less jungle didn't seem the right thing to do. The stream that trickled from the falls was good enough for a splash.
The journey back home was much quicker until I was close to Chennai and when it began to rain. It was supposedly the heaviest rain in many Aprils. I was wet to the skin and the raincoat didn't help at all.
Back at home, I skipped gym for the day, hogged 2 days' meals in one go and headed to bed; wondering how I missed the 205.
The best I could possibly think of to get my bike on to the highway was to sneak out without anyone's knowledge. I managed to do that this good friday. I decided to ride to Kone falls, which is on the way to Tirupati. A 2 minute search on google maps revealed that the falls is in Andhra Pradesh and is about 150 kms from my apartment. My apartment - Mount Road - North Madras - NH5 - NH205 - Kone Falls.
It was more than 25 kms before I crossed Chennai. The 4 laned NH5 is a fantastic road to ride. I could consistently keep the speedometer locked at 90kmph. It is however good to keep an alert foot over the brake as many truck drivers seemed like former pizza delivery boys. They just won't stick to one lane. Lack of trees on the highway also meant that it was very windy for a comfortable ride in some sections.
Unlike Karnataka, the signboards were in English. Infact it was hard to find jelabis. However, the signboards were few and very hard to find. The NH205 never came and I realised at one point that I was travelling quite close to Nellore.
I thanked myself for having honed my 'objective' language skills during the trip to Goa and Hampi. "Tirupati". "Kone Falls". "Falls". All fingers pointed to the direction I had driven from. All fingers pointed to Tada. I did not know that there existed a place called Tada and I did not know there was a falls in Tada. It was the Ubbalamadugu falls - around 20 kms off the highway through mud roads and boulders; plus a trek up the mountains.
I skipped the trek. I had not eaten since the night before and a 5 km trek on a man-less jungle didn't seem the right thing to do. The stream that trickled from the falls was good enough for a splash.
The journey back home was much quicker until I was close to Chennai and when it began to rain. It was supposedly the heaviest rain in many Aprils. I was wet to the skin and the raincoat didn't help at all.
Back at home, I skipped gym for the day, hogged 2 days' meals in one go and headed to bed; wondering how I missed the 205.
5 March 2008
Identity
satya: yesterday one of your friends was in my dream.
raja: who?
satya: the guy we met in delhi who has now become very very fat(?)
raja: who?
satya: the guy we met in delhi who has now become very very fat(?)
3 March 2008
Monday morning
'They are coming in from the south'
'You three, move down one floor and check them out. In the meantime, keep firing at them guys.' I was howling at the top of my voice as I saw a shell splitting the man on my left into two.
'Run, come on this way.'
They looked like abandoned skyscrapers. What am I doing here? There was no time to think. All I am to do is defend the building.
'They have got into through the seventh floor', crackled the radio. It was just a matter of minutes. They were like flies over a box of black grapes. 'Slay as many as you can. And keep running.'
I couldn't believe that there were families living in this building. It was not important. 'Let me hide in here. I am fighting for you.' The little girl showed me the dump room.
'Where are they?'
'In there.'
Balu! I was transfixed for a while as I saw Balu checking the room. He was fighting for the other side. He would kill me if he sighted me. The camouflage helped me survive.
I came out and thrust the butt of my gun onto his stomach as he coiled on the ground. I said 'Traitor' as I put my foot on his neck. He is only doing what he could to save him and his family. I left the house looking for a safer place. I had to get out of the building. I have been fighting for hours now.
I somehow reached the ground floor and managed to crawl across some more building. 'That is the end,' thought I, as I felt a sharp object pressed at the back of my neck. I raised my hands in submission, all the while looking for some, any means to survive.
It was Jinku. He was on the other side too!
'I am not going to kill you. Go away.'
I reached a murky looking building. I was hungry and thirsty. 'Hey, you are amongst us. Come on here. We have got more people in here.' I could do nothing but believe and follow obediently.
After many winding stairways, we finally reached a dark landing where a group of four or five men sat huddled. There was someone frying something for them to eat. I sat with them and ate as much as I could.
More shells. All around. 'They are here as well. Run.'
'Where do we run? There is nowhere to run.'
'Come, I know what to do.' That was Nirmal. We came out of the building with our food in our hands and sat up in the open air. A feeling of numbness crept in as I saw the troops approaching us. I had no clue of what to do when Nirmal pointed to a building on the far end of the road. I had not felt any happier as I saw them jostling towards the building.
It was more like evening when I reached the coast. 'What do we do? All we have is the sea.' That was Ula ( 50 first dates??!).
' C'mon.' I dived into the water as Ula followed me.
It was an underwater tower. The tower was heavily decorated with pearls, rubies and emeralds.
'Huh, this is wonderful. Let me dig a few.'
'Shut up Ula. The tower will crash if you pull out any of these.'
The mermaids were leisurely collecting the rubies that had fallen off on to the sand bed.
We swam around the tower a couple of times. 'What are you looking for?'
'I will tell you.' I was annoyed by his restlessness.
I showed him a small slit into the tower.
'what is this?'
'It is the passage to the lateral universe. We have to slide in through to the other side.'
We were like corpses digging themselves out of their graves as we pierced our way out of the red soil.
The gnomes were not surprised by our entry into their world. The king of the gnomes welcomed us to a grand reception. They were all dressed in dark pink and their faces were painted in black.
I alighted a set of steps and sat beside the king when a messenger came running to him.
'Sire, there is an army coming to attack us.'
I woke up startled by the sound of my alarm. It was yet another Monday morning.
'You three, move down one floor and check them out. In the meantime, keep firing at them guys.' I was howling at the top of my voice as I saw a shell splitting the man on my left into two.
'Run, come on this way.'
They looked like abandoned skyscrapers. What am I doing here? There was no time to think. All I am to do is defend the building.
'They have got into through the seventh floor', crackled the radio. It was just a matter of minutes. They were like flies over a box of black grapes. 'Slay as many as you can. And keep running.'
I couldn't believe that there were families living in this building. It was not important. 'Let me hide in here. I am fighting for you.' The little girl showed me the dump room.
'Where are they?'
'In there.'
Balu! I was transfixed for a while as I saw Balu checking the room. He was fighting for the other side. He would kill me if he sighted me. The camouflage helped me survive.
I came out and thrust the butt of my gun onto his stomach as he coiled on the ground. I said 'Traitor' as I put my foot on his neck. He is only doing what he could to save him and his family. I left the house looking for a safer place. I had to get out of the building. I have been fighting for hours now.
I somehow reached the ground floor and managed to crawl across some more building. 'That is the end,' thought I, as I felt a sharp object pressed at the back of my neck. I raised my hands in submission, all the while looking for some, any means to survive.
It was Jinku. He was on the other side too!
'I am not going to kill you. Go away.'
I reached a murky looking building. I was hungry and thirsty. 'Hey, you are amongst us. Come on here. We have got more people in here.' I could do nothing but believe and follow obediently.
After many winding stairways, we finally reached a dark landing where a group of four or five men sat huddled. There was someone frying something for them to eat. I sat with them and ate as much as I could.
More shells. All around. 'They are here as well. Run.'
'Where do we run? There is nowhere to run.'
'Come, I know what to do.' That was Nirmal. We came out of the building with our food in our hands and sat up in the open air. A feeling of numbness crept in as I saw the troops approaching us. I had no clue of what to do when Nirmal pointed to a building on the far end of the road. I had not felt any happier as I saw them jostling towards the building.
It was more like evening when I reached the coast. 'What do we do? All we have is the sea.' That was Ula ( 50 first dates??!).
' C'mon.' I dived into the water as Ula followed me.
It was an underwater tower. The tower was heavily decorated with pearls, rubies and emeralds.
'Huh, this is wonderful. Let me dig a few.'
'Shut up Ula. The tower will crash if you pull out any of these.'
The mermaids were leisurely collecting the rubies that had fallen off on to the sand bed.
We swam around the tower a couple of times. 'What are you looking for?'
'I will tell you.' I was annoyed by his restlessness.
I showed him a small slit into the tower.
'what is this?'
'It is the passage to the lateral universe. We have to slide in through to the other side.'
We were like corpses digging themselves out of their graves as we pierced our way out of the red soil.
The gnomes were not surprised by our entry into their world. The king of the gnomes welcomed us to a grand reception. They were all dressed in dark pink and their faces were painted in black.
I alighted a set of steps and sat beside the king when a messenger came running to him.
'Sire, there is an army coming to attack us.'
I woke up startled by the sound of my alarm. It was yet another Monday morning.
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