Chasing Happiness Part 3 - In Love With Paro

This week is about signing off from Bhutan, and what better way than a poem. Have a look/listen, and let us know if you resonate with these words a wise man once said, "Kya Adaa Kya Jalwe Tere ... Paro"..

Chasing Happiness – Part 2 – Taming the Tiger

After a heavy, memorable and pricey meal at the exotic Bukhari restaurant in Como Uma Paro, the next agenda on our list was to lose those calories. We decided to do it by conquering the Tiger. The Tiger’s Nest seems to hang from the cliff, and it is both majestic and scary to look at. For the spiritualists – This is one of the caves where the second most revered person in Buddhist faith – Rinpoche meditated. At 10K+ feet from sea-level, with a 900 metre ascent from the base – no trip to Bhutan is complete without it. 

It is about a 9km trip 2 ways, and the first part of the journey is quite arduous, though not insurmountable for an average Joe. We were slightly below average at that time, however, and it took a lot out from us 😊 But the key to conquering this was indeed in not competing with the 95% of other fitter people around us and rather taking our time, enjoying the view.

The first WOW moment came just before hitting the cafeteria, when we got the first view of the monastery.

After a quick recovery, we restarted, and immediately came across a long flight of stairs, but luckily the track smoothened out after that. It was close to noon, and with the sun relentless in its pursuits to make us give up, the layers of clothes started peeling. We rounded yet another curve, and then we saw it, the view that defines Bhutan Tourism in many magazines. It was splendid!!

Some advice for those trying it –

•          Try to start early (say 8ish), so that the uphill climb is done by 10.30, before the sun starts draining you out.
•           Try not to play with the stray animals, even if they give you the most beseeching of looks, if your partner is not fond of them (Believe me, this is very important!)
•           Carry nuts (and water, unless you don’t mind drinking from the natural springs) – There is only one cafeteria, which only serves a buffet meal, and you want to ideally keep it light. Also, that is the only place where there is a toilet, so plan accordingly
•           Best photo spot – just before the final set of steps to the monastery, the most awesome sets of photos come there (PS, no cameras are allowed inside the monastery, you need to deposit it whilst inside)






•           Time to Visit – We had visited in January, we were greeted with Azure skies, and relatively less crowds. Also, the dry season ensured a dry and firm track to hike




•           While coming down – a note of caution, the mules carry people to the top(Many people prefer this, as the downhill trek is easier), and hence they (the mules) are let loose by their keepers on the way down – often leading to a stampede like situation, especially if you are caught on a narrow path. 
  
  Preferably avoid the downhill stretch from 2 to 4 PM, but if you do – watch out, and warn people trekking ahead of you – Everybody likes a good Samaritan 😊

Chasing Happiness - Part 1

We could see that he wanted to talk. A smile on his face, eyes large and innocent, the ones with the intent to strike a conversation. We waved and said Hi. That opened the floodgates, and trying very hard in English, he said, " Go on road. When it bends, don't bend with it,  go up". It was a 5 year old boy, feeling very important that he had help two tired and lost souls on their quest to climb a hill which , though off the beaten track, helped them to avoid the motorway and reach the National Museum. "Kya ada , kya jalwe tere Paro, I told myself".

True to it's image, Bhutan promised happiness - and happiness was what we encountered throughout. Be it getting VVIP treatment as solitary guests at the Kichu Resort , a cab driver who found places of solitude for us to capture photos which recreated our honeymoon, our hotel manager, Mr. Subba took pains in dropping us off at the city from the resort, or the expansive hospitality we received thanks to Sas at our anniversary dinner at the COMO - Uma Paro, this was as convivial a rendezvous as it got. Even the stray dogs politely waited for scraps and let you through, rather than growling at you.

More on that later. Bhutan was planned as a surprise for my better half, and this required our travel time to be minimal, so as to intensify the element of suspense. So, an early morning flight from Kolkata was booked, sleepily we trudged into the airport and cleared immigrations in a somnambulant state.

Within minutes of departing from Kolkata aboard the Druk Air A319, the majestic Himalayas were in sight (make sure you take seats to left). While we were arguing on whether we were seeing the Kanchenjunga or the Everest, the Cheese Sandwich served for breakfast got us requesting for a second helping, and pondering on whether this was a taste of things to come

Hardly had we settled in the flight, when we found ourselves descending into....Mountains??

At this point, I would like to inform that this flight was in my bucket list due to only 8 pilots being qualified to land at the airport . The number has since increased to 17 now , as the knowledgeable Sas informed me during our conversation, but nonetheless it made for a compelling ride.

Paro is surrounded  by mountains on all sides, so while making the landing stick, our flight needed to literally skim the mountain peaks, and make sure the descent happened before the aeroplane ran out of airstrip.

So, one moment we were amongst mountains and the next we were taxiing on the airstrip. Looking ahead, I saw some mountains ahead, and with a start, realized, we may not make it. The brakes were applied, and grudgingly the aircraft slowed, as if it were a galloping horse being reigned in. At this moment, I was not looking, and had braced myself. With a loud screech, it stopped finally; we were within 15 feet of the edge of the runway. I sighed out loud, my heart was beating fast; I realized that I had been holding my breath for a long long time! To imagine how it looks from the view point of a bird, maybe this would help:

As we stepped out into the biting cold, we also drank in the clear blue skies and the pureness of air around. The airport terminal looked more like a monastery, or a fancy hotel (The grey skies in this picture were taken on the date of our departure - we were so lost in enjoying the azure skies on arrival that all cameras were forgotten then):

We had made it to Bhutan, and couldn't wait to get started on finding out how a nation survived on Happiness.

Hampi - Revitalizing Ruins

Well, a short introduction on how we decided on the place. We had initially thought of Coorg, and had only the Sunday to explore it. It was after someone said that more than two places were not doable in a single day in Coorg, we decided that the toss up was between Mangalore and Hampi. A few searches, and two hours of reading later, we had decided on our location. Hampi it was.

To start off, this was not a trip on a shoe-string budget. Air conditioned travel both ways, eating at joints where we were the only Indians without an American/European accent (the Indians with the accents were the waiters) and thinking of pleasure before pockets was the way we went forward with this trip.

We went via an overnight train, Hampi Express. This train provides a great example of taking the long route to touch your nose, as it snailed through towns in Andhra before coming back to Karnataka. Bookings need to be done at least 10 days in advance, else chance it with Tatkal like we we did! The train drops you to Hospet, from where you can take an auto or bus to Hampi. The former would cost approx INR 125-150 during the season, which is November to February. Alternatives are buses by KSRTC and private carriers, or taking your own vehicle on roads which are mainly well maintained national highways

First stop was a restuarent called the Mango Tree, a niche restaurant in the sense that all seats were facing towards the valley with the Tungabhadra snaking through. Thus, even when crowded, one is assured of a great view!



This view combined with a cool, gentle breeze and Mushroom Omlette, variations of Lassi and an Europeanised Samosa made me want to just doze off and enjoy there.

But, we had a long way to go! Exploring a city in one day is ambitious at best, and starting after a long sumptuous breakfast, it becomes even more daunting. We started off, walking towards Hampi Bazaar, enjoying the local sights and sounds



After visiting the Virapaksha temple, which has existed in some form or the other since the 7th century, it was time to conquer the Hemakuntha hill, which was an easy climb. The views we got from there were simply superb, and are the images I will remember Hampi by




After the initial burst, it was time to explore Hampi in detail. If you've discovered other travel blogs you may have read that Hampi can be covered in a day, but better to do it over 2-3 days. It's true, and not from the perspective of an archaeologist or an arts connoisseur. And I would advice you to rent a bike/ cycle based on the time you have at hand and the weather. (We had rented bikes) The whole idea, as I understand now is that to appreciate the city, a single day does not do, and hence, like our trip, this entry will skim over thousand places that could have been visited in detail, but skipped due to paucity of time and attention span of the reader(the Stepped Bath, Zenana Enclosures, the Elephant stables, Noblemen's quarters, the Band Tower - the list is endless)!.

One place which did stay with me was the Hazarrama temple. Depicting the Ramayana epic through sculptings on the outer walls, you can just imagine the storyteller chiselling each rock, the result which would inspire the metropolis about good triumphing over evil. The pillars in the temple have carvings on black stone, which give the temple a distinguished feel to it.








After the visits, it was time for lunch, and we picked out a place recommended on LonelyPlanet - Durga Roof Top. Though the food was bland, the style of preparation was good (you can ask the chef to spice it up), and the ambiance very relaxing - you could lie down and enjoy your meal - the setting is almost as comfortable as your bed! Oh, and the dessert (a must have), "Hello to the Queen" amalgamates hot chocolate sauce, bananas, cookie crumbles, nuts and ice-cream into a sinful extravaganza - but worth the calories one gained.

We had time for one last round before sunset, so we decided to view the sunset from the Hemakunta - the azure sky blending with the red sun, creating the picture perfect hues



And with that, we had to start our journey back to Bangalore. The limbs were exhausted, but the mind and heart yearned for more.

As our rickety auto trundled out of Hampi, I could not help but feel respect for the creators of this empire which showcased India to the world a few centuries back.

Photo Credits : Harsh Narsinghani, Abhishek Haritwal, Gaganjot Singh and Myself

Cautions : You might consider clubbing Tunghabhadra dam with this tour. If you are, make sure you go to the dam in the day. Also, Hampi closes down by 6 - so there is no nightlife in the city as such. The resorts are there, though, but you need to cross the river by 6 for that.

Special Attractions : The entire city will be lighted up in the evenings and curfew time would be extended. So if the blog inspired you to visit the place, 3rd - 5th January, 2012 is not a bad time.

Special Mention : The people of Hampi and Hospet were extremely friendly. The better parts in an exceedingly wonderful trip was the interaction with locals.

Cost from Bangalore : If you're not staying overnight, you can make the trip from Bangalore in Rs. 800-1800, and that includes lavish meals :)

Hogenhakkal Falls

Ok...So I've been busy with the city and soapy life to visit new places of late. Yes, Been working Sundays too. But ultimately some of us decided enough was enough , and paid a visit to the Niagra Falls of India, Hogenhakkal falls. Situated on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka borders, the river Cauvery has chosen this spot to make its presence felt on earth and how! Just a sneak preview before I start from the beginning

The river in full flow

Located about 160 km from Bangalore, this is a good 3.5 hours drive from Bangalore. Ideal for a road trip, the trick is to take your own vehicle or book a cab (Round trip would cost about Rs.4000 including the insane amount of tolls for a 6-9 seater). The road is really nice, and would be a pleasant drive and there are two options. If you are looking at a rustic tour through a well maintained, winding state highway, a good option is to take NH7 till Hosur, and then reach via Rayakottai. If you are looking to set the speed records straight, you can zoom through NH7 till Dharmapuri and head towards the falls from there. I would recommend the latter if you are in a hurry and want options (read McDonalds and CCD) other than the authentic South Indian joints. I would also recommend carrying a good music collection to help set a relaxing mood in the car.

The cuisine I noticed were the freshly caught fish in the Cauvery waters, which were being sold at every corner

If you are a vegetarian, however, I would recommend carrying your food along.

Obviously, having a good group helps to enjoy the beauty of the place with the company of great friends. However, with plenty of masseurs and the audio-visual treat of the waters falling rhythmically, relaxing your senses its not a bad option for taking a day off on your own too.

The unique boats, which are shaped liked the royal kadais of the erstwhile royal kitchens can upto 7 people and are a must do here. You can also request for the boat handler to rotate the boats at full speed, which he will do at the cost of some extra tips (and giddiness if you're not upto it!)

The Teppas

The Tamil Nadu side of the waterfalls is where the majority of the bathing takes places, and though its wonderful to enjoy a natural Jacuzzi, it CAN get a little disconcerting to see scores of not exactly the fittest people almost fully naked. This along with the innumerate minuscule but annoying "Entrance Fees" and the extremely hot weather were the only negatives in an otherwise perfect outing. The falls were unique for their diversity; it seemed like the river had split into many small parts to enjoy different types of plunges, and hugged each other with a great degree of cheer again, not unlike family members who go off to work in the morning and meet at night!

The Tamil Nadu side of the Hogenhakkal Falls

Next stop was the Karnataka side of the falls, the unique feature here being the immense volume of water gushing down. The rocks here had crevices, and they were also not spared by the fury of the water.Abhishek and I decided to step down from the concrete walkway which led to a good view of the falls to being three feet away from being a part of the falls by trudging through moss-covered stones wedged in the water. However after reaching here we found ourselves face to face with utopia. It was at this moment that everything else seemed so insignificant, just the water, its melody, and you could be enchanted for hours.

The Karnataka side of the Hogenhakkal falls

There was a perfect rainbow to add to this picturesque setting as well! It was so easy to get lost and lose all track of time. However, like all good things, the time here was coming to an end as we were informed by our group. We slowly trudged back to them; however, that moment will forever be entrenched in our minds.

The season to visit the falls is during Summers. We came at a time when the water levels were very high and hence stayed on the high waters. If that's not the case, I was told that the boats even venture in the canyons below! In my opinion, this is a great option for a day trip from Bengaluru. 

A small treat in HD for the connoisseurs

P.S. Some knowledge of Kannada/Tamil within the group would be helpful.

Special thanks for the trip - Abhinav Narula, Abhishek Haritwal, Gaganjot Singh, Pavan Mangal and Shikohi Agarwal

Special Thanks for the Photos and Video - Pavan Mangal

Gaganbawda

Located 55 km from Kolhapur, this small hill station is unheard of, and not for the ones who want great public amenities and development. However, for lush greenery, small thrills and Nature in its total splendor read on. As soon as the bus dropped us here, the first thing we saw was this

Almost in the clouds, but not quite

With clouds just 50 metres above our heads and small hamlets dotting the road, it felt we had come to the  wrong place. After replenishment of our energy through freshly cooked mirch pakodas, we found a good path to go on. The rainy season just in, the entire landscape was green. All we could see was a green carpet for miles amid gentle hillocks. About 1.5 km down, we reached the base of Gagangiri Ashram. One thing you must be careful of here are the monkeys who will snatch away any perishable items you have! The fierceness with which they fight can be seen through broken limbs many have. However, those monkeys (and humans) who overcome this hierarchy of needs can find total peace, especially at the samadhi, located on a point where the whistle of the wind blowing reminds you of many Bollywood movies of the 70s.

Samadhi at the Ashram

Though this felt really rejoicing, we were still lacking something, the feeling of not scaling the mountain; because at this point the challenge we had was

Our Lakshya - To scale that peak

The mosque at the top was apparently isolated, and this challenge along with the slopes fresh and slippery from rain, made us all the more wanting to scale the peak. I wouldn't say my heart was not pounding during the final bit; a broken road and 70 metres of climb, but as an ad puts it - darr ke aage jeet hai. I suddenly found wisdom in those words, because no sooner had we reached the top, we were greeted by this view

The view from the peak - 1

The view from the peak - 2

Just multiply the first view with a 30kmph breeze blowing at your face, the odd eagle flying and making its screeching noise, and suddenly you felt transformed into a totally different world!

This trip is worth a one day visit. If you can leave from Pune/Mumbai or Bangalore the previous evening, it takes about 5 hours to reach Kolhapur from Pune and 14 from Bangalore. From Kolhapur you can either take a rickety government bus (Rs.55) or book a cab (Rs.1500 round trip). If you go by bus, be careful of the return times as the last bus leaves at 5.45 PM. In Kolhapur you can shop for the famous slippers or visit Rankala lake. Talking to locals, we found that the best time to visit to enjoy the lush greenery is during the rains (July-October)

Special Thanks for this trip - Sourabh Mundhra

Introduction and Scope

Being a traveler, I have often felt the need to explore to places generally unknown; generally those off the beaten track. It gives me great pleasure to take my back pack and reach a place where I can get a good view. I am often accompanied by my great pal - my mobile camera and my wife. Having visited 15+ countries as Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian foodies who enjoy a whiff of adventure and an occasional taste of luxury, we will try to share them here.

Having caught buses, trains and flights at the last moment and having missed them on a few occasions to, I will also try to share my experiences on traveling light, smart, easy mostly by sharing my boo-boos :)

Being a foodie, we explore new restaurants and cuisines (as  much as we can, within our culinary boundaries). We will, in the course of this blog, also define some sumptuous experience too! The aim of this blog is to share places which can be explored with ease, depending on the time you have at hand. Please feel free to reach out in case our itineraries excite you, and we would gladly share more information in detail. Travel, after all, is the best ice-breaker on the planet, and we totally believe in it!