Gadag To Bangalore, 430 kms / 12 hours ... by car... Part 2

Continued from

http://sandeepskulkarni.blogspot.in/2013/03/gadag-to-bangalore-430-kms-12-hours-by.html

I had slept after taking an antibiotic the previous night. I was pretty afraid, what would happen the next day. I woke up around 5 20 am that day and checked the condition of my throat.

Believe it or not the throat infection had gone almost 85-90%. Everything had cleared off. I was so so happy that, I started singing a Kishor Kumar song early in the morning. Indeed, why shouldn't I? I was so so happy, that I could enjoy my 400+ kms drive that day, instead of worrying about the sore throat.

After thanking God for the turn of events, I got ready to check out of the hotel. So by 7 15 am I was on the move, my parents felt better as they no more to worry about the my health, they felt now I could drive safe.

My parents had thought, the travel from Gadag to Bangalore would be so lengthy that, they had advised me to vacate the room previous day and move to a different hotel in Haveri so that we could cut the last day travel distance by 70-100kms. I was very hesitant. Somewhere down on wiki map, I had read there were couple of places which I could visit on the way to Bangalore from Gadag.

If I had vacated the room the previous day evening, it would mean, I would no longer, get to see them. I was very hesitant and my adamancy paid off. Not only did I get to see the places, I got hold of the medicine too.

Then came a series of other challenges along with it. First thing is reaching Bangalore before dark. The other challenge was the condition of the road. I never knew how the road was, after my experience in the bad Thiruvalanamalai to Krishnagiri road (NH 66), I was ready for anything. Considering the fact that my sore throat had even subsidized, I simpy said, bring it on!

After having breakfast, I prepared myself mentally for the journey. Opposite to the hotel, there was a petrol pump, I went there to get some more DIESEL and air. But the guy told me there was no air available. He told me to proceed in the road which leads to HUBLI, there would be more pumps available there.

But I was hesitant to go that way, I could see a road opposite to the petrol pump which led to Bankapura and there was no need to go to Hubli at all.

There are couple of roads which go to Bangalore from Gadag.

1. Gadag > Hubli > Bangalore
2. Gadag > Laksheshwara > Bankapura > Bangalore.

We came to Gadag using option 1. But I was hesitant to go by option 1 again. So I asked this guy, the road condition of the option 2. He told me its terrible, why do you want to take a chance better go to Hubli and then Bangalore. I just told him I want to go that way and left the petrol bunk.

I felt quite confused, because I did not want to encounter any punctures this time. But at the same time, I did not want to go to Hubli and then to Bankapura coz it simply would mean an extra drive for about 30 kms and moreover there was nothing there to see too !

Instead I chose option 2. But after confirming with one more person. Once I came out of the petrol pump. I saw a taxi (yellow board vehicle with a registration number of KA 26. Gadag registration). I thought this was my only chance. This guy might know the road condition. And indeed he knew. He told me the road is bad in a couple of places but rest all its fine.

I felt relieved.. And there after I started my journey to Bangalore..

What happened next.. Well will post it in part 3.

Cheers,

Gadag To Bangalore, 430 kms / 12 hours ... by car... Part 1

I travelled from Gadag to Bangalore, on one Saturday during the month of December 2012, precisely 2012 December 1st. I was through with all the stuffs I had to do on my Hubli Dharward Gadag trip.

The list included,

> Attending a marriage in Dharwad,
> Meeting some person in Hubli near CBT.
> Going to a relative's home in Gadag.

Apart from these, I even visited couple of temples in Gadag, and Lakkundi as well. So I was through with my goals for the trip. Now was the time to head back to Bangalore. Loads of stuffs awaited me in Bangalore. But let me tell you about something which happened previous day.

The day before I was about to catch cold and had a severe throat infection. I tried hard but my throat just gave up on Friday, the day before I was heading to Bangalore. Also signs of cold / flu was starting to show. I got pretty scared. I had to drive 400+ kms, I was the only driver, and taking cold tablets would induce sleeping while driving. With no option to endure the pain, I went to Gadag market with my parents to buy some vegetables. We also purchased some beetle nut and some stuffs which I do not recollect at this moment. We also purchased GHATE.. (phapda ? as per Jethalaal of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah chasmah )/

I was finally looking for a medical store somewhere in Gadag Market, but was unable to find one easily. Finally I found one and believe me, it was something which I will remember for the rest of life. What happened there will be etched in my memory for years to come.

I went to the medical shop and told him I have a throat infection and needed some antibiotic. He asked me whether it was severe or mild. I told him its very bad. He gave me a tablet called Azbest (500mg dosage). He asked me if I have signs of COLD / FLU. I told him I have, for which he gave a tablet called SUMO Cold, which was a huge capsule. After telling him to make a reciept for these tablets, I told him my side of the story that I had to drive all the way to Bangalore the next day, and I was the only driver.

He listened to me and suddenly reminded me to take only half the tablet of Sumo Cold, because, it would make me drowsy while driving. I told him I would and when I got the bill, I was suprised,
3 tablets of azbest 500 + 3 tablets of Sumo Cold costed me 75 Rs. (Azbest was Rs 20 each).

I took a tablet while having my evening dinner, (I ate 4 idlis that night), in a hotel very much opposite to the medical store, and I still remember, I brought 10 packets of RAJU SUPARI that day for Rs 5.

My parents thought I was crazy but somehow I justified my purchase. So then I came back to the hotel room and slept off praying to God to give me strength to drive the next day. I also told my parents, whatever happens tomorrow I am going to drive, there is nothing stopping me, for which they replied, you are the only driver and there is no other option !.

What happened next is another story continued in Part 2

Trek to Thadiyandamol Part 3

The second day just all about relaxing and having fun.. Early morning we took a walk along the estate within which the homestay was located. Then after having breakfast, we went to visit Cheluvara falls.

There took a dip in the waterfalls, it felt like heaven. Enjoyed it the most, We was there for around 2 hrs  then headed back to the homestay. We then packed our belongings and set out towards Bangalore. Before that we thought of having a good old Coorg meal and stopped at a hotel in Virajpet.

The food was great, the location was great, in the heart of Coorg, the feeling was just awesome. Then we started from Virajpet towards Bangalore. All through the journey we were chit chatting talking about loads of stuffs. I ended up talking with almost all people in my cab also the neighboring cab, including drivers. So all in all it was great.

For tea we stopped at Maddur tiffany;s and then it was my drop at Kengeri around 7 30pm..

The two days went like a rocket. Met loads of new people which was the best part and walked few kilometers, which was even more fun.

Cheers,

Trek to Thadiyandamol Part 2

Continued from post 1

I was asleep after 2am in the morning, and was awake around 5 30 am. The reason being we had lot our way. Incidentally, the road which the co-ordinator used to take to reach the home stay was dug up for repairs and we tried taking alternate roads, but landed at the same place everytime.

But with the help of GPS, somehow we could track down the homestay finally, at 6 15 am.

We all introduced ourselves and one by one, everyone got up to freshen themselves. Finally around 9 am everyone was ready, finished our breakfast, which was some Kodagu food, the name of which I hardly remember and we started after having our packed lunch. Since the trek starting point was around good 5-10 kms from the homestay, we travelled by the van.

The trekking group was kind a fun, we had people from all age groups from 11 year old to a 50 year old. There were two instructors / co-ordinators.

The trek to Thadiyandamol was kind of fun, initial stretch was a plain road with no inclines. I had carried my D90 on this trek, and believe me it was a big big distraction while walking. In the month of december with lot of dry areas, there were no good photo captures (as usual). But all way long, I was lagging behind, just because, I was trying to take photos every now and then.

After 3-4 hours of trekking we reached the peak. It was kind of nice achievement, because the last time I went to trek was almost a decade back. I do not even exercise regularly. I really thanked God, that the trek to KP was cancelled, else I would have suffered.

And we came back the same day to the homestay and evening was kind of total fun. On the way somewhere in Virajpet couple of guys got down to get tapioca chips. It was tasting too good.. Bad that I did not get some.

Once we reached the homestay, we had tea coffee, cakes, and other delicacies.

Needless to say that day, I ate as if I had not eaten in generations.

And then there was campfire. That day, I slept in the open on the homestay terrace and under the starts. It was too good. The gates of the homestay was open, anything could have come onto the terrace. But still I was hesitant and slept in the open. 5-6 other guys too slept in the open..

Then next day woke up at 6 am and the rest part, I will post it sooon as part 3...

Cheers,

How I reduced my Facebook usage and saved countless hours.

Disclaimer - This post is all about MY usage of a Social Networking Site and it is not meant to offend anybody.

The year dates back to 2010. Before 2010 I was using orkut. I did not take much interest in facebook till then. The story starts in the month of July 2010, I was in Singapore, I had accepted an offer from a company over there, and one of my house mate told me, facebook is more popular than orkut these days. I simply said ok and told to myself, let me have a facebook account myself.

Within couple of months, I had accepted loads of friend requests, though I was kind of hesitant to send a friendship request to anyone, and to this date I am still hesitant. Then I started to travel within Singapore and started posting many pictures and also started going through what other people are doing via Facebook.

Through the next one year till August 2011, I started using more and more facebook, the primary reasons being.

1. Internet was kind a cheap in Singapore and I had no restrictions on my usage.
2. I had countless number of hours to spend, as I was alone, and each day, I needed some company in the form of Internet / facebook / blogs.
3. I found friends to chat on facebook and many people were like me, who stayed in different countries away from family and they too needed to kill time. It was a perfect match.
4. I was more interested in kinda boasting by posting different pictures ( I guess human tendency ).

Finally in the year August 2011, when I thought I had enough of working in Singapore, I left my job and came back to India. Initial two months, I did not check facebook. Coz I had no job and people knew I had relocated to Bangalore. In order to hide myself, I stayed away from Facebook.

Then once I found a job in Bangalore, I was again back on facebook, and this time I had enough enthusiasm to travel to many places in and around Bangalore, I started posting updates pictures etc etc.

But soon I tried to communicate with few of my older engineering classmates on facebook by leaving them a message, pinging them on chat etc etc. It was by the way after many many years. These are the same guys who had sent me a FB friendship request and now did not even reply to my messages.

Then I realized, all this is social networking is a gimmick. I wanted to shut down my account and never visit it. But I had seen couple of guys who deleted their account and within a month they were back.

So I had to do something where in I still had my account enabled, (because, I had many many photos uploaded into it. ) and yet spend lesser time on it.

The main reasons which told me to use lesser facebook are...

1. I had loads of other things to do in India, playing PC games, watching TV, listening to radio, movies books, cleaning my room, coding etc etc. So chosing FB over these was like letting myself down.

2. Internet in India is slow, and is priced. I still have a restriction of 1GB download limit. So I had to stop.

3. I was no more alone, I had loads of people around me, spending time in virtual world was no more necessary.

So my goals were these.

1. Retain my FB account -
    coz of loads of pics uploaded, I had loads of travel plans, I wanted to show atleast few people know about my photos if not all..

2. Spend lesser time on FB.

So I went about thinking what to do, and found out the main reason I spent more time on FB was because of other people's posts, their updates, their photos. If I could cut them out on focus on only a few people's updates, I thought I could save time and indeed I was right.

Out of the 100 friends I had on FB at that time, I put 85+ of them on RESTRICTED LIST. So that they do not get my updates.

On the other hand, I unchecked their news feed, so that my wall gets lesser posts, lesser downloads and lesser time.

It worked. I no more had to see other people's updates, and I no more had to tell them what I was doing as I was least interested (Remember, they did not reply to my messages on FB). My Facebook WALL is CLEAR !

All in all its a win win situation. I spend may be 10-20 mins each day on FB checking on updates of my trekking group , and other few people who share similar interests, may be 20 odd. For rest all its like bye bye . And believe me, its almost more than one year, till now nobody has asked me, " why don't I get your updates. ". Cheez I am happy.

Cheers.