Thursday, December 30, 2010

Roads taken - 2010

As an yearly tradition, here is the list of places that I have visited in the last one year. Given an MBA curriculum, travel gets all the more difficult. Yet I have managed to do some trips.

March: Gwaldham and Munsiyari - Home to the Trishul and other peaks. Breath taking views of the Himalayas.
April: Summer internship in Bombay
May: Goa baby! Southern Goa - Lazing around the beaches, water sports, music and food :)
June: Goa again! This time up north, Casino fun!
September: Hemkund, Valley of flowers - Awesome trek, walked more than a 70 kms. Also saw Joshimath and Auli. One of the best treks I have been to.
Yet another Goa trip for the year. The third time this year. This time in the Taj resort with the whole of BCG. Loads of booze and a lot more fun

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Why do I need a title?

Its 4.10 in the morning/night. After a tiring day, I hit the bed by 2, which is has been a rarity lately. It was then that a friend of mine mentioned that the 8.45 class in the morning was canceled. This is a feeling that I used to feel as a kid when I suddenly knew that school had a holiday. Be it those political bandhs or because of some problem which was inevitably morphed in the joy of a holiday. After a few rounds of scrabble with unknown ppl, I started thinking. Right from Plato to Pluto. And here are a few of those thoughts that hit me..
If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject ~Ayn Rand  
 Call me a cynic, call me pessimist, but I don't agree with the concept of altruism. I cannot fathom its presence in today's world. Every action by an individual has an ulterior motive. Each alm you share with a beggar, each good deed that you have done today, everything has an underlying aspect of fulfillment of ones' need. Be it the need to feel good about yourself of be it the need to show others that you are generous. This however, is something most of them deny and would hate to accept. My intention is not to judge someone's action but just to instigate a thought.


I guess its time to sleep.. Too much abstractness is injurious to health.. My interpretation and take on Ayn Rand's statement to follow..

Friday, September 17, 2010

Hell to Heaven and back!

With 8 days of term break, the initial plan was to go to the Pindari glacier near Gwaldham. Thanks to heavy rains and landslides, we made our way to a relatively easier trek: The valley of flowers and Hemkund sahib! Valley of flowers is a fairly easy trek that does not need any preparation except for some warm clothes. We  ultimately ended up walking about 70 kms in 4 days and traveled the other 4. Scenic. Simple. Beautiful.

1st Sep: Train from Lucknow to Haldwani / Kathgodam. Highly uneventful except for the 2.5 wait at the railway station :P

2nd Sep: Train arrived at 10:30 at Haldwani. Had a good lunch and then booked a cab from Haldwani  to Joshimath and back for 8 days at a stretch. For seven of us, this was a far more economic option as compared to using public transport. By the day end we could reach only till Ranikhet due to a couple of bridges that collapsed on the main road. So a detour was required. Ranikhet was a quaint little town and more so in the off season.

3rd Sep: Most of the day was spent in traveling again and we reached from Ranikhet to Joshimath by 4 in the evening. The drive was amidst scenic hill stations and curvy roads. An early break at Joshimath meant roaming around the locale. This being the off season, hotels were easily available and at a good price too.

4th Sep: We started for Govind ghat, the starting point of the trek for Valley of flowers and Hemkund. Govind ghat was about 18 kms from Joshimath and took us about an hour to reach. We could see huge stones that just fell off the mountain on the roads and the beauty of the mountains was breath taking. The target for the day was to reach Ghangariya which was 13 kms from Govindghat and took us close to 5.5 hrs for completion. This being a very popular trek, especially with the Sikhs who make the trip every year to visit the Gurudwara, there were plenty of dhabas on the way which served various items ranging from Paranthas to dry fruits, cool drinks, water and a lot more. One can also hire mules to get to either Ghangariya or all the way till Hemkund for a cost of around 500. The journey upto Ghangariya base is mostly uphill where we gain close to 1200 mts in altitude. One can witness the mighty mountains, never ending series of waterfalls while the white waters from the glacier melted peaks flows at a furious pace. We reached Ghangariya by 1:30 and 2 of us decided to rush to get a glimpse of the valley of flowers. At this time of the year, hotels are abundant. Food and stay should not typically be a owing to the continuous traffic this place sees due to the pilgrims headed to Hemkund.

5th Sep: Valley of flowers opens at 6 in the morning and is closed by 5 in the evening. However one has to enter before 2 PM after the the entrance gets closed for the day. Valley of flowers is 3 kms from the Ghangariya base. We found huge mountains with vertical faces adjoining the stream that flows by the side. On a clear day, one can see the ice capped Gauri parvat and colorful flowers blossoming all around. The valley is known to produce over 50 varieties of flora with most flowers having specific periods when they appear. The best time to see the valley of flowers in the first week of June when the valley officially get opened for the public. By September, there are far few flowers and you can expect the whole valley to be covered in fog most part of the day. From the start of the valley, one can go as deep as 8 kms into the valley which takes us very close to the glaciers nearby. We stayed in the valley almost till 3 in the afternoon after walking a total of close to 22 kms. Expect a continuous downpour starting at 12 noon.

6th Sep: Early in the morning we started for Hemkund, which was a 6 km trek uphill all the way. A lot of them hire mules to do this journey. This route is again filled with a lot of Dhabas on the way which offer food and water. After about 2.5 hrs of ascent, we reached Hemkund by 9.40 in the morning. Hemkund stands at 4400 mts above sea level and hence is mostly covered in clouds. The weather can get extremely cold in a very short span of time. We were lucky to get 30 mins clear view of the pristine lake. The gurudwara serves hot food and chai to all the pilgrims to Hemkund which was tasted heavenly after the strenuous trek. This natural lake is formed by the water that comes from adjacent mountains and is frozen most part of the year.
We reached down to the base again by 2 PM by which time we had done close to 54 kms. The rest of the day was spent playing cards and sleeping.

7th Sep: We started back to Govindghat early in the morning and reached there by 11:30 in the morning. We headed to Auli for lunch and then to Karanprayag for the night. Karanprayag offered splendid views of the sangam from the hotel room.

8th Sep: The whole day went in traveling from Karanprayag to Kathgodam where we caught the train back to lucknow.

Monday, June 21, 2010

The girl in the mirror

There she was
flowing in pink
jumping with joy
the girl in the mirror

the wind stopped for her
the earth stood still
the birds stopped chirping
the clock stopped ticking

she waited there
for her love, her life
she waited for this day
for it was all she ever dreamed of

There she stood
as colorful as the flapping wings of a butterfly
as beautiful as the rain drop on the lotus leaf
the girl in the mirror

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Summer of '10

All summers till date, I have spent either traveling or getting back to my village. This summer was different. This summer I haven't traveled. I spent all of it in one place - Mumbai.

Before it all had started, I know I was heading to yet another rat race with in the CAT race. The internship saga that happens in all the IIMs. I was waiting for it. I was ready to take it head on. It had been a wonderful experience. Learning about Rubies, Sapphires and Emeralds wasn't something I was prepared for. But what the heck.. It was interesting. Following it up with farming, It couldn't have got any better.

The whole of two months just passed in a flurry. 2 of my main activities - Work or come back home and sleep. Weekly parties, monthly outing and movies set the tone. I have been to some of the best eateries of Mumbai. I have had the most exotic food. I interacted with the best of the best. To sum it up.. It was an 'experience'.

I got a chance to visit Goa for the first time.. Loved it so much that I went back again towards the end. While the first visit was a serene two day holiday amidst the coconut trees, the second was a wild casino party. Goa is one place I will remember for the time to come.

Now that I have come back to the campus, It feels empty. It feels free and liberated.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Trouble Maker!

Its 5.53 AM. For the past 5 days, I have slept 2,3,3,4 and 5 hours respectively. Yet I look forward to getting back to the legendary Operations tents. I work from 8 in the night to 12 in the afternoon. Believe me its been a fun ride. Its all gonna come to an end. These 5 days have been extremely busy.. Running around, Trouble shooting and a lot more than I could normally take. Not once was I actually tired, mentally. As physically exhausting as it was, it was a great team to work with and great fun all in all :)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

That thing they call HAPPINESS

As I woke up with a smile in the morning, I noticed that I was visibly happy most part of the day. I sat wondering what is it that makes me happy, makes me smile. Often do I feel this way, but its not everyday that i feel this bliss, not everyday that I feel so much at peace with myself. Such a simple question and yet an nonexistent answer. The day I end up answering it, My life would be Utopian!

Come to think of it, I find my happiness in the watching the rising sun along the sea shore, watching the setting sun, the waves! I find it in silence, in solitude, in loneliness, in my freedom to say no and more importantly to say yes! I find happiness in my will, my resolve, in good food, in a country song or in a good book.

I find it in a warm smile, a passionate kiss, a hot cup of coffee, a heartfelt compliment from someone, in watching the stars, deciphering the full moon, staring at the crescent, on a cold winter morning or the unusual showers. I find happiness in a cup of vanilla icecream, the sleep after a hard day work or with the newspaper in the loo :)

At the end of the day, it is what you choose. I am happy if I choose to be so. Happiness comprises of such minute fractions and memories of joy. A kind look or a forgotten act of charity and other such countless infinitesimal pleasurable feelings constitute my happiness.!

As I look back at the happiest moments of my life, strangely its not the cracking the IITs and IIMs that I remember. Its the memories of my family, my friends, the games i played as a kid, time spent with my family that hit me back! Am I surprised? No!!

A smile on someones face because of me is what gives me the greatest joy...

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Of Forests, Watch towers and Elephants!

Dudwa Wildlife Sanctuary - November 30th, 2009

Dudwa is synonymous with strolls in the forest and solitude. Calm, peaceful and pleasant.

The first trip out of IIM L, Khadu, Penguin, Sudeep, Gogo, Shaggy, Ghasi and myself, we found our recluse at the Dudwa WLS on the border of Nepal. 238 Kms from Lucknow, the journey took us roughly 5 hours by a Qualis. Thanks to Sudeep, We booked our rooms at the Tharu huts to avoid any accommodation hassles. We started from the campus at 2.30 and reached the camp at 7.30 in the night. Breaking away from the monotony of life we got accustomed to, most of the journey was spent singing songs and eating ganna.

The first night at this place was mostly fun & frolic. Signature, Kingfisher, Caste, Religion, India and Politics all came in at the same time and provided some profound discussions till 4 in the night. The next morning, we took our vehicle and went out for a stroll in the forest. The gates are open only between 7-10 in the morning and again from 2-5 in the afternoon. After a jolly ride through the absolute green, we decided to go to Nepal which is a 15 km drive from the camp.

Unfortunately some Maoists bombed the border village of Nepal and hence we could not go much on the inside. However, we did buy certain souvenirs in the local market. Filled with shawls, clothes, perfumes and a lot more genuinely fake stuff, the market was bustling with activity. There was a watch tower at one end of the camp which provided a great view from the top. We spent a lot of time chatting away at the top! The night was spent mostly playing killer and mafia, games taught to us by shaggy. We never thought playing these games would be so much fun.

We managed to get hold of elephants for a ride in the forest on the final day. A slow and three hour long ride amidst the trees was a splendid experience.

Total distance: 550 kms
Time: 2 days
Cost: about Rs. 2000

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Roads taken - 2009

Here is what I had written exactly an year ago - Roads taken 2008

An year down, I see in retrospect and it hasn't been that bad really!
I had my share of travels and here is the short list.

Jan - Road trip - Hyderabad - Horsley hills - Talakona - Hyderabad. A total of 1350 kms in 2 days and in 2 cars. A nights' sleep in the open on a hill in sleeping bags!

March - Bangalore

May - After about 5 months of being busy with 'cat prep' and 'interview' and what-nots, The drought was ended with an awesome road trip to Kerala. Again 2300 kms in 7 days.. Slept on railway platforms, in tea plantations, trekked in Wayanad, Rode the beaches of Kasargod and saw the beauty of Agumbe and Hampi

June - Yet another month of immense travel. This time my travels took me west to Germany, Switzerland and France. Mesmerized by the meadows of Switzerland, the Autobahn of Germany and the Eiffel tower of Paris, This would be one trip that I am not going to forget

Followed it up with a road trip to Rajahmundry and Kakinada.. With roads like those.. it was pure driving pleasure

December - Ended it up with a trip up north to Dudwa wild life sanctuary on the border of Nepal. 2 days .. nothing but the forests and us!

Wanderlust Prevails ..

Another year come and gone..

As a principle, I hate Newyears and Bdays and any other so called days that attract too much attention and hype. I somehow fail to share the same joy with which others prepare, plan and proceed to execute the 'Most important day of my life' every new years eve.

So whats the big deal?

You get an year older..
You get together and drink with your friends (after paying 1500 for the couple entry) which otherwise you would normally do at home anyway..
Contrary to my opinions, You have an unnecessary pressure and being good and doing good on the first day of the year
You have resolutions to take and mull over those that you have broken
There is this notion that you have to smile, look good and most importantly, Look Happy!
You notice extraordinary amounts of attention by papers, media and people in general. Guess its just good business

For me all these days are just another day that has come and gone
I rather have fun when there is no pressure to have fun
This pressure and this expectation is probably what causes my indifference

P.S. My MBA is not to be blamed