Place: Shivanasamudra, Karnataka, India
Mode: Bike Trip (Bangalore - Maddur - Shivanasamudra - Bangalore)
Date(s) of Travel: October 10, 2010
You can read more about the place(s) here: Shivanasamudra Falls
My Experience:
1. Me and my friend decided to do a bike trip to Shivanasamudra which is around 140 Kms from Bangalore. We started around 12.00 PM and reached Kamat hotel after channapatna around 1.30 PM. The lunch was simply too good.
2. The bike ride was very smooth till maddur but after maddur it was horrible. We reached Gaganachukki around 4.30 PM and there were lot of water in the falls.
3. From there we travelled another 10 Kms to Bharachukki falls. We got down the steps and went to the falls to take bath. We even had a koraikal ride where they will take you near the waterfalls which was thrilling.
4. It became pitch dark around 7.00 PM and we started back to bangalore. But there were heavy rains till maddur and it was almost impossible to ride the bike because of the pot holes. We reached bangalore around 11.00 PM with having a stop in Coffee day near ramnagaram. It was a nice experience driving the bike in Mysore road.
Thought of Day:Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. - Albert Einstein
Place: Kodaikanal, TamilNadu, India
Mode: Tempo (Bangalore - Kodaikanal - Munnar - Coimbatore - Bangalore)
Date(s) of Travel: September 24, 25 & 26, 2010
You can read more about the place(s) here: Kodaikanal Munnar
My Experience:
1. Me and my colleagues boarded the nagercoil express train at around 11.00 PM from bangalore to kodairoad. We reached kodairoad at around 8.30 AM the next day and we arranged for a tempo traveller to kodaikanal.
2. We reached kodaikanal around 12.30 PM and it was drizzling which was so pleasant. We met our trekking guide "Kodai mani" who organizes this trek. He is a money minded guy and never guides people. That is the experience we had from that guy.
3. We travelled by another tempo to Berijam which is the starting point of our trek. The view on the way from kodaikanal to berijam was quite beautiful. We started trekking around 1.30 PM and after sometime we were quite deep inside the forest. It started raining after sometime and it never stopped. The whole way was full of leeches and everybody was so freaked about that.
4. After three hours we stopped near a lake for our lunch. Then again we started to walk and reached a village around 6.30 PM. After having some refreshments in a tea shop, we bought some raw materials for dinner. From there we started walking towards another village called Naatampatti where we gonna camp in the night. We reached the place around 8.00 PM and it was a forest guest house.
5. After having good dinner and some camp fire, we hit the sack. It was very cold in the night. Next day around 8.00 AM we started to trek towards Kovizhur. I would say, we walked a lot and crossed a few waterstreams. It started raining so heavily and lot of people started getting cramps. The last stretch of reaching Kovizhur was so thrilling as it was very steep and muddy due to the rain.
6. Finally we reached Kovizhur around 7.30 PM and everybody was so tired as we dint had lunch. From there we went by a jeep to munnar. We stayed in a small hotel which was pretty comfortable. Next day morning around 11.00 AM we started to coimbatore by jeep. The three hour jeep ride from Munnar to Chinnar was so beautiful as there were tea plantations everywhere. We spotted some waterfalls on the way and it was quite scenic.
7. In the night, we boarded a bus to bangalore from coimbatore.
Thought of Day:If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut. - Albert Einstein
Place: Europe (Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam - Cologne)
Mode: Bus, Train (London Victoria Bus Station - Paris, France - Brussels, Belgium - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Cologne, Germany - Paris, France - London)
Date(s) of Travel: August 09, 2010 - August 21, 2010
You can read more about the place(s) here: Paris, France
You can read more about the place(s) here: Brussels, Belgium
You can read more about the place(s) here: Amsterdam, Netherlands
You can read more about the place(s) here: Cologne, Germany
My Experience:
1. I decided to do a shoe string budget trip to Europe for 11 days. My plan was to travel in eurolines buses (which are cheap across Europe), trains (little costly) and to stay in youth hostels and meet as many people possible and experience different cultures.
2. On August 9th 2010, I started to Paris from London Victoria bus station at around 8 AM. Eurolines buses are too good. The bus reached Dover, England around 11.30 AM. It went inside a train to cross the English channel. That was an kick-ass experience. Within 25 minutes it reached Calais, France at the other end.
3. In the evening around 4 PM reached Paris and I checked-in to the http://www.montclair-hostel.com hostel. It was a quite nice place and met lot of people. I should say some places of Paris are simply superb but some of them are really shady. I stayed in Paris for 4 days and went to Eiffel tower, Louvre museum and few places. I also met my friends whom i met them back in Thailand two years ago. Traditional french dinner with Duck and Wine...oh man..its so nice.
4. On August 12th 2010 afternoon, I started to Brussels, Belgium by bus. I stayed in the http://www.2go4.be/quality/ hostel. The city center of Brussels was quite beautiful. In the hostel met some friends from Argentina and Germany. They were so friendly and even we did a night out in a local pub. It was an unforgettable experience.
5. Next day morning, I roamed the city and did some local sight seeing. In the evening I started to Amsterdam, Netherlands by bus and reached around 10 PM. My friend dinesh who studied with me in college, currently works in Amsterdam, came to pick me up. I decided to stay in Amsterdam for few nights because I heard its a kick-ass place for bachelors.
6. In Amsterdam I went to lot of pubs, live shows and even drove a boat in the canals. I smoked weed which was like feeling heaven. I can't explain in words, how good Amsterdam was. I have some plans to stay in Amsterdam for a month. Lets see, how it goes.
7. On August 17th 2010 morning, I started to Cologne, Germany by train. I traveled in train because I was running short of time and only few bus services to cologne. In the afternoon, I reached cologne and stayed in the http://www.koeln-hostel.de hostel. I would say, Germans are the most friendliest people I have ever seen in Europe.
8. I roamed cologne and went to few places like Cologne Dom, Sculpture park, Panorama. In the evening I went to some pubs where they were playing live rock bands. It was kick ass. On August 19th 2010 evening, I started to Paris by train because I need to catch my night bus back to London.
9. On August 20th 2010 morning I reached back London with lot of beautiful memories. I made lot of friends and I am still in touch with them through facebook. Indeed the world is nice.
Thought of Day: Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school. - Albert Einstein
