Panchgani: The Land of Strawberries

I had never seen so many strawberries at one place before! Every nook & corner of Panchgani boasted of selling or advertising strawberry & its myriad products ..sundaes, icecreams, candies,chocolates, jams what not! Baskets of fresh strawberries were lined along the roads, tempting tourists more than the actual ‘sight seeing’.

After a brief stopover at Bagchi’s for their famous strawberry ice cream sundae, we set out to explore the city..

The land of 5 plateaus, Panchgani, looked dull & barren in the month of March. Winter had stripped it of its lush greenery & numerous waterfalls which otherwise draw thousands of tourists every year. At most of the popular “viewpoints” we were greeted by the eerie silence of endless ravines and plateaus intersected by snaking rivers.And the sight of paragliders sailing across the sky was mesmerizing..

Next followed a visit to the famous ‘Tableland’, the highest plateau in Panchgani. Aboard a colourful horse-buggy, our guide, Raju, took us through the history of the place - excitedly pointing out everything from the epic “Pandav footprint” to the various spots where innumerable film shootings had taken place. Raja Hindustani,Gangajal, Swades, Dabang, Omkara, Tare Zameen Par..you name it and he could describe the exact scenes shot there! And guess what, for some 200 bucks u could actually get yourself clicked with Salman Khan jumping of the cliff or with Sanju baba shaking your hand!! Confused? Tricks of the trade we were proudly told by the local photographer J

Our next destination,Sherbaug - The Tropical Jungle, seemed like the perfect choice in the hot weather. Artificial rain greeted us at the ticket counter! Once inside, beautiful landscaped gardens, quaint stone benches, artificial waterfalls and a tree-housed shaped restaurant added to the charm. The flora & fauna was captivating but the tiny waterpark looked disappointing. Food and drinks are over priced and not easily available inside...so watch out.

 

Adjacent to Panchgani, is its twin Mahabaleshwar - a rather ordinary hill-station if I may say so. Average places have been turned into tourist-fleecing ‘centers of attraction’ where the only attraction I found were the bright red strawberries yet again!

I would suggest you buy a large bowl of the fresh strawberries & enjoy it sitting by the Venna Lake instead of taking the over-priced boat ride there :)

Subsequent visit to the ‘Sunset Point’ and local markets further enforced my belief that every localite in Mahabaleshwar considers it his/her birth right to overcharge tourists. The blatant commercialization is shocking to say the least!

If u really want to enjoy the natural beauty of this hill town, hit theWilson Point trek early in the morning..quiet roads,luscious trees and cuckoos singing in your ears..its pure bliss! Who knows u may even be lucky enuf to spot a deer strolling along :) :)

The Magic of Munnar!

Munnar is beauty and serenity personified...
So green and refreshing is the landscape that u can almost feel the fatigue of the daily grind wear off in the first few hours itself!

As we drove around the green terrains ,it was like watching a Yash Chopra movie:) Endless stretches of bright green plantations and misty mountains.The lakes & dams had clean still water which beautifully reflected the clear blue skies above.Nature at its very best!

We desperately hoped to catch the famous elephant herds at the 'Elephant Arrival Spot'..after all elephants are an integral part of Kerala tourist attractions :)
Alas it started to rain & we had to miss out on a lot of interesting experiences Munnar has to offer-
The speed-boating at the Mattupetty Dam was stopped..
A walk down the pretty Rose garden was rendered unfeasible.
Horse riding along the slippery mud tracks was dropped too.
But I have to admit,unlike Kodaikanal...Munnar looked pretty even in the rain.No wonder the govt promotes Kerala as a monsoon tourist destination!

Last but not the least...was the Pothemedu view point. The cloud-covered mountains below us..left us spell-bound and speechless. A view so amazing..I could not take my eyes off it!

Munnar left me craving 4 more.I would have loved to stay back a little longer..take a stroll through the tea plantations & enjoy a cuppa "Munnar special tea" along the picturesque Mattupetty Lake:)
May be i'll go back someday...to explore it at leisure.After all its the perfect holiday spot to put ur feet up & relax!!

The Puducherry Experience

About 2 months ago.I took my first Beach holiday at Pondicherry...a laidback coastal town known for its beaches. Once I stepped out of the railway station,it looked like any other small town with crowded shops & bustling traffic.Where's the sea I wondered!?

As we walked around looking for our hotel,we reached the Promenade or "beach road" as it is called. The sudden view of the glistening blue sea surprised us! This road runs parallel to the sea & has the most amazing view. I was tempted to dump my bags & immediately dash into the water,but better sense prevailed :)

We found this nice little hotel called 'Executive Inn' at the end of the Promenade.The lady incharge was  polite but she had us in splits when she insisted that boys & girls should not share rooms in her hotel!! Seriously lady!?! We agreed of course since we had no plans 'otherwise' :) :)

Once the accomodation was taken care of,we went in search of some grub! And guess wat we found in the middle of the bylanes of this small south-indian town - A North Indian Punjabi dhaba!! It not only served north indian 'homely' food but also provided "Hindi" tuitions!! Can u believe that?!
The food was simply amazing...we had lip-smacking desi-ghee soaked rotis,dal-fry & delicious palak paneer.

Post lunch,we decided 2 explore the town & headed out to the famous AURO Beach. Sand,surf & wind...the 'auro' experience was scintillating! Splashing & rolling in the water..we played hide & seek with the waves. With the camera snapping pic after pic,we enjoyed every moment in the water.Hours flew by and soon it was time to return.With pocket-full of shells & hair full of sand..we trudged back...happy & wet!

Once the sun went down,it was time to hit the Promenade.The sound of the waves crashing on the rocks was music to our ears. We were drawn to the sea like moths to a candle...but the dark endless ocean looked scary & mysterious. So we chose to step back & njoy the sea breeze from the comfortable portico of Le Cafe instead.Its the only beach side cafe & offers great food with a view :p

As we sipped on coffee,hordes of localites moved around the colorful stalls nearby...
It was like a "mela"...vendors selling everthing from mirchi bhajjis to neon toys,women with gajras in their hair but no slippers on their feet(?),kids running around with playful abandon,foreigners watching with amusement,tourists clicking pictures & lovers walking hand-in-hand. There was something for everybody...a perfect spot to spend the evening!And the place was addictive too as we realized later :)

Early next morning,we were back on the Rocky Beach...dis time to catch the sunrise.By God,it was beautiful!The sea looked different..peaceful & serene.While the sun rose slowly over the horizon,we stood by totally mesmerized.Waves crashed softly on the rocks and the cool sea breeze blew tantalizingly.Time seemed to stand still...

However,once the sun came up completely..it became too hot & we scurried to Le Cafe again for a quick breakfast..or so we'd thought.But once we started ordering,it seemed difficult to stop! The food was aawwesummm....perfectly done omlettes,yummy vadas & of course the famous Croissants..washed down with iced teas & great conversation:) ... 2 hours of pure indulgence!

Skipping the local churches/museums,we decided to checkout the water sports center a.k.a Silver Beach.We took a ferry down the "backwater"and reached the pretty little sandy beach...the water was white & sparkling...just like the name. Palm trees & bamboo huts added to the quaint charm.The waves were not as rough as the ones in Auro & it was fun to hit the water! My sister & I,the only water-babies in the group, played around with gay abandon.A whistle-weilding guard patrolling the beach would frequently warn people not to step too far in the waves ..which could be as treacherous as they looked tempting. One thing I have to admit,the water & beaches at Pondicherry are quite clean compared to other commercial ones like Mumbai.The localites focus on keeping the city clean is commendable..

Another USP of the Silver beach is its food stall serving delicious fried fish & chinese snacks.Sitting under thatched roofs with sand grazing your feet,you can enjoy the sumptous food with cans of beer/cold drinks.A perfect way to end your beach party :)

Back in the city,it was time for dinner & goodbyes. After a brief shopping spree on the way to Ritchie Rich(4 Litchi ice cream),we arrived at a lovely rooftop Continental restaurant.The French influence was quite evident & the food was good, like almost everywhere in Pondicherry.

The weekend was over in no time & so was our "beach holiday" ...but not without giving us a lifetime of wonderful memories & some great photographs to remember by!! :)

Bangalore City

Bangalore has been a culture shock as well as an explosion of new experiences for me! The first thing you notice is the lush greenery & the numerous lakes which dot the city landscape.
Its a pleasant change from the concrete jungle up north...
While the weather is less extreme than Delhi,its frequent fluctuations leave u guessing & sneezing :)

The food..I abs have 2 write about it.Before coming to this city I didn't knowthere were upto 20-25 varieties in Dosas--wheat,daal,cucumber,cheese,chinese,palak,tomato,ghee etc!!The list stretches as far ur imagination..
Second would be the numerous "baths"..no, not the ones u take every morning:) These are usu rice/suji preparations...like Bisibela bath,Kesari bath,Kara bath,Chow Chow bath,Avalakki,Shavige bath(my personal fav).
And yes,people here can eat rice & dosas for bfast,lunch,snacks & dinner!!
There is abs no limit 2 their love for rice-- tamarind rice,lemon rice,tomato rice,puligere,pongal & the most popular-- curd rice!!
For me the most intriguing discovery has been- "Paddu" formally known as 'gundpangala' (spherical spicy idli balls served wt chutney).Fresh off the skewer,they make for a delicious snack along wt a cup of filter coffee :)
The lesser known "Dharwad Pedha"...is my preferred choice over the famous "Mysore Pak". Besides this ,there's nothing much in terms of sweets here.I have 2 say,North Indians are better in this department.

Bangalore has good bus services..esp the Vayu Vajra Volvo service to & from the Airport. I wish Mayawati would start something like this in Lucknow to improve the connectivity to Amausi Airport.
However,the city's infrastructure is in poor shape...the city looks cramped & over crowded.The roads/flyovers are narrow& traffic jams a constant menace! Even driving through short distances is a pain in Blore:(

However the best part is that you don't face Delhi-like eve teasing in buses here & hence its relatively safer to travel in buses at any time.Men usually avoid or easily vacate the "ladies seats" for female commuters(unlike their delhite counterparts).
But the autovalas..Gosh!! They're notorious for openly cheating & (frequently) attacking passengers.Even the police are not able to reign them in,despite regular media coverage of this issue.

Its a cross-culture cosmopolitan city but with a predominantly South Indian influence.Though booze flows freely here, people are quite conservative in their lifestyle.The North Indian-South Indian distinction is omni-present but not openly acknowledged by the localites.

Due to its central location,Bangalore is a traveller's paradise.There are so many places near Bangalore for weekend getaways like Mysore,Waynad,Coorg,Pondicherry,Kodaikanal etc.One can go trekking,camping,rafting...nature & history both can be experienced at their best here. Hills,forests,beaches,temples,waterfalls...the options are unlimited!!

I'm sure to explore & make the best of my days in this new city..