Monday, October 5, 2009

I was on a trip

First things first. Did you all miss me? I did miss you folks. Being away from reading blogs seemed like being in some other planet. But in a way, being away from gadgets and mundane routine does rejuvenate you.

So here was what I did and where I went. Having won a 4 day continuous holiday, yeah, I would say 'won'....getting holidays now a days has become so hard.....decided to go on a trip to Goa. Since I was 10 years old, I was always fascinated by Goa, from the time I read a story on St Francis Xavier. I don't recall where I got that book from, but remember reading it. And I did miss 2 wonderful opportunities of visiting Goa. Not that I missed, I wasn't given a chance to go. First time was when I was about 12 years old, when my mom felt I was too young enough to understand Francis Xavier and more importantly the bikini clad group. She felt that taking me to Goa was like allowing her daughter to watch live porn!!

Second time was when the school had arranged a trip to Goa as we were all leaving school during my 10th grade. This time, my mom sternly put her foot down, maybe the reasons were same. I don't know!!! All I remember was sulking for days together, of course in vain and then accepting the denial.

By now, you must have all guessed. Yes, the trip was planned to Goa. As they say, man proposes, God disposes. Maybe God also felt, Insignia has not yet grown up to watch Live Porn!!! :-|

Here is what happened. We drive from Bangalore to Goa, abut 550 kms. As we started, things didn't turn out in our favour. Bangalore's traffic drained us out, by the time we exited the city limits, all were exhausted. Then, one of the car's tyre was punctured. Fixed it, had dinner and left. Throughout, it was raining incessantly. Some places, it was a drizzle, yet it was difficult to drive at night with these rains pouring. It didn't seem to stop, it was as if we were taking the rains as we went.

Coupled with that was the glare coming from opposite vehicles due to high beam. Why do they want to use high beam? The drivers don't have an iota of sense to reduce it when approaching a vehicle. Each time, a vehicle passed with a high beam, we were totally blinded. Yeah, the rains didn't stop anytime, even for a second and it only got worse and heavier as we progressed.

The duration was getting longer, due to the rains. I was not to give up easily, would I? Continued the journey. About 150 kms away from Panaji, a police constable stopped us on the highway and asked "Where are you guys going?" When he learnt that we were on our way to Goa, he told us a nice story. It seemed that the roads were all flooded, traffic has come to a stand still and that no access for the next 24 hours. He also added his own bit that there was a tsunami.

I called up the guest services of the home stay that we were supposed to stay at Calungute. The lady confirmed that the rains were heavy. Just 12 hours back, things were fine!! but now....

It seems rains lashed northern part of Karnataka for the previous 3 days and seemed there was no respite. Later, learnt that AP was affected too. So this planned trip now were all in tatters. It was still OK for me, I have read a quote on Travel and Living. It goes something like this - A true traveller does not know his destination and does not know when he arrives. So here it was, unknown destination, but just keep going.

The Western Ghats of Karnataka are splendid, very rich in flora and fauna, thick vegetation and beautiful mountains with many rivers criss-crossing the landscape. So it was a win-win situation anyways for a person as me who cant get enough of nature. Even though the rain god didn't seem to have any mercy, roads flooded and cracked, fields flooded and crops destroyed, dark clouds overcast all the time, cheating the birds and animals to believe it was late evening even though it was noon, high tides at seas, yet it was beautiful. The roads were tough, water just ran as streams everywhere, the speed of the car wiper was not enough to clear the glass of the rain drops.

Driving through the ghats where one could take in the beauty of amazing water falls along the mountains as you cut through is one thing, those water falls over flowing and water running as stream where there are sharp hair pin bend curves and one has to drive on the slippery narrow road is another thing.

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, visited few places on the way, just took detour of 20-30 kms and lo!! the places are fabulous, seas, rivers, lush green fields. Just awesome. Only one thing that I missed, no chance of seeing a sunrise or a sunset. The sun was on vacation too. :-)

Few of the pictures that I clicked. I am not a good photographer, so what you see here is just a mediocre version of the true beauty of all that I saw and enjoyed. I have not done justice to nature's beauty.

You can find the complete collection at http://picasaweb.google.co.in/bindu1708/Roadtrip#

On of the many waterfalls that laced the western ghats.


Gaint statue of Shiva gleaming at night


The sea at 6:30 PM. I really don't have an idea about this blue haze. That was how the sky was. Maybe the effect of overcast dark clouds


This bullock cart took me back in time, when people were not worried about deadlines and deliverable. Life was all so simple and relaxed.


A river criss crossing the landscape. It was raining, observe the fogs over the mountains, it was around 11:30 AM.


World Famous Jog Falls. Just as the fog cleared.


Another beautiful landscape.


One of the waves washed away such tiny fishes to the shore. These poor things were struggling to breathe. They had a great survival technique. It seems as if this chap is dead, in fact, no. He is very much alive and we put him back into the water. And he wriggled away to every one's surprise.


These are the bricks that are used in that part of the region. They are heavy and have great strength than the normal ones; to withstand such extreme rains.


A pine tree like ones. Felt as if it were the North America


A nicely made well. Dont get to see these things now a days.


A shell buried in the sad. Yeah, lots of them are scattered on the shore. Now don't laugh at me. I am mesmerized by such simple things.


Yesterday was Full Moon Day, couldn't refrain myself from capturing this guy against a silhouette of leaves.


P.S : I just hope I can visit Goa one day :-(

43 comments:

  1. Good pictures, did you visit doodhsagar too?:P

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  2. Nice post. Excellent pictures. You may not have visited Goa this time. But you enjoyed your 4-day vacation. That is what counts.

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  3. gal, what a coincidence...i was to go to goa for 4 days, even my 2 trips earlier had got canceled, and this time some other emergency came, so we couldn't go :( and then realised that there were floods everywhere...I am sure (or rather i will hope and pray) that god will be very kind to us next time...

    loved the pics...

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  4. Goa is waiting. Hopefully, you will make it next time :)

    Good things are worth the wait.

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  5. this is the second post I am reading today... whose plans were spoiled by the Rain God! But guess the rains are still still welcome considering them being late latifs and all!! :P

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  6. Welcome back!

    Don't worry.. I will accompany you to Goa some day!

    the pic shows how much you wud hv enjoyed!

    P.s.: I am yet to see snow, desert and sea!

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  7. Abhinav,

    Stand in line and take a number to accompany Insignai to Goa. I am ahead of you in the que. ha ha ha.

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  8. Cool! Although I've been to Goa, a roadtrip still eludes me. And Jog falls...just wow! I wish I could trek there...would be fabulous!

    Call me when you go to Goa :D Free access everywhere :P

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  9. Gooa is my favourite holiday spot:), I just loved it.

    You are claiming not to be a photographer, but ur pictures are very good.

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  10. Hey Kish,

    Thanks :-) Well, errr...missed it pal :-P

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  11. Hi SG,

    Thank you for the comments. Right! Goa - maybe it was meant this time. As I said, traversing Western Ghats is always a win-win situation and I really had fun

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  12. Hi Neha,

    Whooaaa...that's a coincidence.
    But your emergency was God-sent. We really had tough time in those rains. Yeah, hope and pray that next time, whenever it is, we make it to Goa :-)

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  13. Hi Surya Kannan,

    Absolutely!! good things are worth the wait. I will visit it one day :-)

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  14. Hi P,

    Welcome back after a long time :-)
    Oh yeah, the rains lashed out in all its fury. But as you said, its always welcome. It was flood immediately after a drought this time!!

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  15. Hi Abhi,

    Thank you. That's really sweet of you :-)
    I am sure you will make a wonderful company :-)

    Yes, even though the rains were incessant and furious, I did enjoy, those 4 days were precious, without work and other things. It was a welcome break.

    PS : Good things are worth the wait. When you see the snow, the desert and the sea, I bet you will feel at heaven!! Pray you get the opportunities soon

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  16. Hi SG,

    Whats happening? Queue formation huh? :-P

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  17. Hi Shaunak,

    I could not make it to Goa, unfortunately. But road trip is always a nice way to have fun if you are adventurous. Its really fun when you can see varied landscapes, meet different people than taking a flight and all you see is fluffy clouds. You can detour anytime and explore different things and you would be amazed to see the surprises in store for you. But be ready to expect the unexpected, flat tyre, bad roads and such. In spite of all these, its definitely worth.

    I did explore and discover some nice waterfalls, beaches which clear and clean, streams...

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  18. And yeah, the Jog. If you are a trekker, its a neat place to go. Beautiful really!
    And thanks for that offer. I will definitely ping you if I am visiting Goa :-P

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  19. Hi Antarman,

    Oh yeah? Hope to visit it soon. :-)
    Thanks much. But I am really a normal photographer with a poor point and shoot camera. :-)

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  20. hiii

    wow! Goa trip!... I still remember mine!! what fun :D

    this tiny silver fish is just tooo cuteeeeeee! I now want to become a scuba diver...what a fantastic life they have yaar!

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  21. Goa can be pretty in the rains. The laterite bricks are heavy if cut from the quarry in the rains. The Western Ghats are indeed remarkable.

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  22. amazing pics yaar...especially the fish in the palms photo was mindblowing

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  23. oye...nala enjoying ah!! goood goood! boy I still hav'nt gone to Goa even once....though a lot of planning ...and yeah western ghats drive...have heard that...never done that too!..and soooper pics...modesty ah?..kool:)

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  24. Amazing Pic of the Jog falls.
    I went to Goa last year in October. It was simply amazing. But the place you went to is no less beautiful.Cheers.

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  25. Hi AS,

    No, unfortunately, didn't make it to Goa due to heavy rains. Yeah there were lot of fishes such as these washed away to the shore.

    Scuba diving seems fun but its lot of hard work :-). I thought how easy to just swim and dive in the water. But I learnt how tough it is when I learnt swimming

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  26. Hi Anil,

    Welcome to B Log :-) Thanks for the comments.
    Yeah, have heard Goa is really beautiful, but unfortunately couldn't be there due to rains. The highway was flooded and closed. Hopefully I will make it one day

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  27. Hi Gayathri,

    Thanks much :-) Yeah the fishes were so cute.

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  28. Hi Hary,

    :-D yeah!! lotta fun. Western ghats drive is awesome, try it sometime. Thanks, glad you like the pics.

    Modesty illa pa, I really believe I am not that good in taking pics, having an terrific photographer as my friend(Gautam), I cant proclaim I am a photographer at all.

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  29. Hi Aparna,

    Yeah, Jog was splendid, so was the entire area I covered. Goa is another awesome place, hope I can make it a day

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  30. I sure did miss you very very much.
    Looks like you had a superb trip. So glad for you. The photos looks great! Like I always say, you have such good eye for things. :-) The post was so nice too. I was giggling even more when you were narrating how unexpected the trip was.

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  31. So what if it was not Goa u must have really enjoyed it.. The rain and the waterfalls!! sounds great...and ya the full beams are blinding.. amateur drivers they are.. My dad goes hyper when he sees that... :)
    lovely bright post

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  32. Hey Gautam,

    Thanks dearie :-) the trip was fun as lot of unexpected things happened. Enjoyed thoroughly. So glad you liked the photos.

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  33. Hi Rajlakshmi,

    Oh yes!! Goa some other time :-)
    High beams, they don't realize the harm it can cause to the vehicles approaching in the opposite directions. Twice, we missed the road and drove into a pothole due to which the front tyres went flat.

    Thanks for the comments.

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  34. i liked all the waterfall pics.. i've always wondered from where does all tht water fall.. still wondering..

    tsunami ah?? lol..

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  35. Hi Vishnu,

    Thanks :-) I still keep wondering about the same. How could a hard rock be source of water?? Miracle!

    Yeah, that constable told it was a Tsunami!!!

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  36. SG,

    Humble apologies to my latest response, seems it was snubby, but it was not my intention. Sorry again

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  38. before I say anything else, which camera do you use ..all your snaps are pretty decent ones ..even the snaps from your previous post all seemed to have come out nice :) Goa's always a delight..next time when you get the chance ..just jump..as they say its always better to yeild to temptation as it might never pass your way again ;)

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  39. Hi Rohit,

    Thanks for your comments.

    Its Sony Cybershot DSCW55 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom. Its just a point and shoot camera :-)

    I want a very good DSLR but budget constraints :-P

    Thank you, glad you liked the snaps.

    Oh yeah!! Goa - definitely wouldn't miss. :-)

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  40. That's okay Insignia. Don't worry about it.

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  41. Congratulations! You have been given an award. Please visit my blog and accept it.

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  42. Hi SG,

    Thanks a ton. I am honored to be receiving so many awards from you.

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I'd love to know what you thought :-) Please shoot!