The Great Indian U-turn – a Bike Adventure

The Great Indian U-turn – a Bike Adventure
A bike trip across South India. They covered an incredible 1,757 km on bike in just four days. Here’s how they did it…

This travel tale is an account of a spectacular journey dipped in intense emotions and cherished moments, that we began on September 29, 2007. We decided to explore the southern part of the country on bike. This trip was about exploring the explored and telling the world that there is more to life than 9 to 5. Since school, I’ve wanted to travel the maxima (specifically, Leh) and minima (Kanyakumari) of the curve on the political map of India.

It was 6.30 in the morning and we (Piyush, myself and Piyush’s 180cc Pulsar) were all geared up. We began our first leg of the journey towards Salem at 7 am. The roads were super smooth. We broke our fast en-route to Salem at Krishnagiri. As time crawled, the mercury gradually began to rise. We reached Salem at 11.30, quenched our thirst at a quick pit stop and continued our journey towards Trichy, the first major city we touched that afternoon at 1.45 pm.

The sheer abrupt rise of the Rock Fort Temple was a thrill in itself, but the actual attraction was Ganesha’s temple, at the summit. We then drove on to the SriRanganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, which is considered the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world. The gopuram (entrance tower) of the temple is called the Rajagopuram and is 236 feet (72 m), the tallest in Asia. Myth has it that you can see the coast of Sri Lanka from the top of the gopuram. The temple is constituted by seven enclosures, with gopurams marking the axial path.

Later in the day, we grabbed a quick snack of vegetable vadas and onion bajjis, which Piyush relished very much.

We resumed our journey towards our next big destination – Madurai…

We left at 7.30 pm in the evening and entered a difficult part of the journey. The roads, no, the path was wide enough for just one big vehicle, and there were more pot-holes in a single kilometer than we encountered from Bangalore to Trichy!

To make things worse, it was raining cats and dogs. At around 10.30 pm, we arrived at the city of Madurai, home to several temples and a bustling bazaar scene. We were a little dazed from all the traveling and decided to treat ourselves to dinner and a good night’s rest in a mid-range hotel.

We woke up at 7 am and decided to visit the Sri Meenakshi Temple. We could see the temple gopurams from our hotel and in between buildings as we drove. It has several towers, all painted in vibrant rainbow colors: the outer four towers were particularly tall and literally had thousands of sculptures of Hindu deities bathed in sunlight. Inside, the temple was more covered, with dark, incense-filled rooms. We saw an elephant with a floral design painted on its face and ears. It took us a few minutes to realize it was blessing the pilgrims that crowded around it. We also asked for its blessings for our onward journey.

At around 11, we moved on to our biggest destination. The road to Kanyakumari was excellent which made the 235-km stretch seem much shorter and more comfortable.

It was a terrific feeling as we approached Kanyakumari from Madurai…

A dilapidated gate read “Welcome to Kanyakumari.” That was it! 2 km on, we hit the stimulating sight of the confluence of three waters: the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.

The Gandhi Madipum, Tiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekanda Rock form the ultimate join-the-dots panaroma on the southernmost tip of mainland India. We felt blessed to be there and thanked God for protecting us from the many dangers that could have come to our way. For that moment, we (along with our Pulsar) and the spectacular three waters, were one. The only thing that we will always regret is that we did not witness the splendid sunset, that this southernmost tip is famed for. We spent the rest of the night in a hotel as we had to catch up on some sleep to prepare for the Great Indian U – Turn! We left for Kovalam in Kerala at 7.30 am the next day. The road from Kanyakumari to Kovalam was very good, with exotic beaches running on one side and beautiful water lilies and miniature lakes on the other. Though single lane most of the time, we had no problem comfortably cruising at 80 kmph. We reached Kovalam at 10 am.

Kovalam beach is popular for its clean waters. We saw two beaches, Hawah Beach at the northern end, and Lighthouse Beach to the south. The two beaches join seamlessly. It was very calm, with only the roar of the waves breaking the silence every now and then. Everywhere we looked there were coconut trees swaying in the wind.

We stopped for a snack break at a resort before we wound our way towards Trivandrum at 12.30 pm.

On the way, we witnessed the famous Kerala backwaters running adjacent to the road.

We bypassed Trivandrum and the same evening, reached Alleppey, the Venice of Kerala from where most houseboats trips around the network of backwaters originate.

These are magnificent floating palaces that give the best hotels a run for their money. Just a day onboard will enchant you, regardless of whether you’re a 10 year old kid or a couple on a honeymoon.

Unfortunately due to cloudy weather, we missed the sunset yet again. We ate on Allepey beach and left for cochin at 8 pm, reaching at Cochin at 10.30 pm. Co-incidentally, the India-Australia match was scheduled for the next day, because of which most of the hotels were fully booked.

We eventually checked into a very nice but expensive guest house. The next day, we left early at 5.30 am, because we did not want to miss the Niagara of India… the Athripally (Thrissur) waterfall. We made it to the falls by 7.30 am.

Athirappally Falls is a beautiful 80 ft cascade on the Chalakkudy River in central Kerala. The Vazhachal falls is about 4 km upstream from Athirappally Falls. After entering the park, we walked about 100 meters to get to the entrance of the river. From there, we took a sloping road to the falls. If you are adventurous you can take short cuts straight to the bottom. Half way through this slope, we started getting glimpses of the beautiful falls. It felt great when water droplets splashed on our face.

The other attraction was Vazhachal Falls. Located upstream near a dense forest, it also provided a breath-taking view.

It was time to move on after breakfast. And do we need to say that we had to eat the masala dosa 90% of the time because everything was flavored with coconut oil, irrespective of whether it was kadhai paneer or chhole bhature. But seriously, we enjoyed it.

At 12.30 pm, we left for Coimbatore. I would specifically like to mention the road from Athiripally to Pallakad, which was a biker’s nightmare. En-route, we saw many posters of superstars from the Southern film industry, and stopped for banana chips, prepared freshly right in front of us.

The highway from Coimbatore though was a biker’s delight. 25 km in 15 minutes. I guess the numbers say it all…

We stopped for lunch on the way and noticed that the bike was punctured, but as God had it all taken care of, we saw a puncture shop right in front of us. After the repair, we zoomed towards Salem, reaching by 7.30 pm. A quick tea on the outskirts and there it was, the final leg of our adventure. The non-stop race back home, sweet home. Apprehensive that something might go wrong at the last minute, and enthusiastic about getting back home, we finally touched base at 11.30 pm (Nothing did go wrong!)

Four days, 1,757 km – the Great Indian U-turn. The very thought of it filled us with pride and joy.

We don’t know how and why the phrase “unity in diversity” originated, but one thing is for sure, it must have been coined with India in mind. Travel a few 100 km in India and you’ll have a totally different perspective of life; different food, different clothes, different faces, different colors, everything different.

JOB (Just Over Broke)…

Do you remember when you were young and anything you wanted to do seemed possible? What happened to those dreams? Ok, maybe it wasn’t realistic to be a rock star, and maybe you decided there were some negative things about being a politician. But what happened to your belief system that told you, you could be anything you wanted to be?
As you grow older, you realize that your occupations, or JOBS (Just Over Broke), must provide adequate income to pay your financial obligations. So you stopped dreaming and took the first job that provided you with some sort of financial security. You rationalized this by reasoning that a job is a job and you’ll find fun and happiness after work or on the weekends. But do you really find happiness this way? Wouldn’t it be better if you could work at what you really love to do instead of complaining about your work? Is it still possible to find a job that makes you truly happy? It’s never too late to try to find a job that you actually enjoy doing, but it does take a little time and effort.
First and most importantly, develop the belief system that you can do anything you want to do. This is your life and you have the opportunity to steer it in any direction you choose. Don’t let your fears or our beliefs hold you back. You are the captain of your life and you can do whatever you want to do.
Now, start out by finding what you’re good at and what talents you actually possess. Recall your youth and what you once loved to do. Remember the things that always came easier to you than others. Analyze which values are important and how these could all translate into possible occupations or careers. Be creative and don’t rule something out just because it’s not very “sensible.” Remember, you’re just exploring the possibilities. Once you have some ideas, share this information with those who offer the kind of positions you might be interested in. You might be surprised about the positive response you receive.

Wouldn’t you really rather enjoy what you do? Wouldn’t you prefer an environment where work becomes effortless, instead of draining? A job where you can grow and develop while tapping into your personal creativity. Wouldn’t that make you a better person in the long run? Allowing yourself to realize your own ambitions can have a positive affect on everyone around you.

– 8quotes.com

Life without you…

It has been a long tiring wait for one call from you. Just hoping the wait comes to an end soon…. I made my mind to call and talk to her, but just listened her voice and dropped the receiver…. call me.. I need to hear from you.. I somehow managed and went ahead to make a call to her and finally got the differences resolved.. I really believe that the greatest Distance between two persons is just the word “HI“…
If we all can try and step one step ahead, the rest of the distance is very easily covered across…

What a country !!

I reached Germany here on Tuesday 09 October, 2007. My Flight Was Lufthansa LH 763 from New Delhi departure time 9:15 (IST) in the morning. I reached Munich at 2:00 clock Munich time (-3.5 IST) . We watched Movie Ta Ra Rum Pum and . My Connecting Flight was from Munich to Nuremberg at 3:15. I had to go through the security check at the airport and then I found my small little FLight ready for Nuremebrg. It was a small 25 seater plane . Found pretty interesting to travel in such a small plane. it was just half an hour flight and it reahced nuremeberg on time around 4:00pm. I hired a Taxi and reached my Hotel Roter Adler. This hotel you can say is a common pitstop for all the Infosians traveling to herzo office. My Hotel is in Erlangen which is a small town in the Bayern State of germany. I was totally tired after such a long trip that i just dropped in to my cozy bed and relaxed.
I got up in the evening and walked down the furtherstasse (the street name) in search of some stomach filling food and calling cards. I went out in my Pink T Shirt and Levis Jeans and found that I am no more in India. The chill in the air was killing me softly. I bought the calling card and some fruits and came back to the comforts of my warm and cozy room.
I contacted my onsite coordinate person how to reach office the next day and he guided me with useful information.

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Ten Commandments for Peace of Mind

On several occasions, I have been asked to speak on the ways and means to attain peace of mind – the most sought after ‘commodity’ in human life since time immemorial, especially so in today’s world in the rat race of commercialism
and cut-throat competition. It appears that most of us are in a state of perpetual restlessness notwithstanding the good health care and basic economic security that we enjoy.

On analyzing the causes of this restlessness, I have ventured to find for myself ten solutions to attain peace of mind that I would be happy to share with you. I call them the “ten commandments” because they need to be followed religiously and with complete diligence if we are serious about achieving perfect peace of mind.

1. Do not interfere in others’ business unless asked
Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others’ affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic, and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction.This kind of attitude on our part denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God, for God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because they are prompted to do so by the Divine within them. There is God to look after everything. Why are you bothered? Mind your own business and you will have your peace.
2. Forget and forgive
This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often nurture ill feeling inside our heart for the person who insults or harms us. We foster grievances, which in turn results in loss of sleep, develops of stomach ulcer, high blood pressure and many other ailments that stealthily gnaws us from within.We forget that the insult or injury was done to us once but by nourishing the grievance we go on excavating the wound forever. Therefore it is essential that we cultivate the art of forgiving and forgetting. Believe in the justice of God and the doctrine of Karma. Let Him judge the act of the one who insulted you. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forget, forgive, and march on.
3. Do not crave for recognition
This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motive. They may praise you today because you are rich and have power but no sooner you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and start criticizing you.Moreover, each person is a mortal with a bundle of defects in them. No one individual is picture perfect. Then why do you value the words of praise of another mortal like you? Why do you crave for such false recognition and lose your peace of mind if the world does not praise you? Believe in yourself. People’s praises do not last long and are not worth it. Do your duties ethically and sincerely and leave the rest to God.
4. Do not be jealous
We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know you work harder than your colleagues in the office but they get promotions, you do not. You started a business several years ago but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in every walk of life. Should you be jealous? No, remember everybody’s life is shaped by his previous Karma that has now become his destiny. If you are destined to be rich, not all the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere, but will only give you restlessness.
5. Change yourself according to the environment
If you try to change the environment single handedly, the chances are you may fail. Instead, change yourself to suit the environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has remained unfriendly for you, will mysteriously appear to be congenial and harmonious.
6. Endure what cannot be cured
This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations and accidents that are beyond our control. We must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully thinking, “God will it so, so be it”. God’s logic is beyond our comprehension. Believe it and you will gain in patience, in inner strength, in will power.
7. Do not bite more than you can chew
This maxim should be always remembered. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable to carry out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. If you have extra time, then spend it in an inward life of prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind, which make you restless. Fewer the thoughts, greater is the peace of mind.
8. Meditate regularly
Meditation makes the mind thoughtless. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour every day, you will tend to become calm during the remaining twenty-three and a half hours. Your mind will not be disturbed as much as before. You must gradually increase the period of daily meditation. You may think this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will turn out more work in less time.
9. Never leave the mind vacant
Empty mind is the devil’s workshop. All evil deeds start in the mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more – money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or temple work may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even if you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God’s name (japa).
10. Do not procrastinate and never regret
Do not waste time in wondering “should I or shouldn’t I?” Days, weeks, months and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Always remember God has his own plan too. Value your time and do things. It does not matter if you fall the first time. You can rectify your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET! Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Take it as the will of God. You do not have the power to alter the course of God’s will. Why cry over the spilt milk?