RETURN FROM OOTY AND LAST DAY AT BANGALORE

We started early. We enjoyed the journey very much. On the return time it was dark and we had to go through the hilly forest area. At the time of going to Ooty it was morning light in the forest but during return it was dark. The route was completely dark, with few lights in the village enroute. Our driver Richard said that many animals can be seen and few times tigers are also seen. The road was not smooth. Actually the route by which we came to Ooty was closed and we had to take a different road to return. The forest in the dark seems to be denser. We got views of herd of deer, “Neelgai”. We had a electric torch which Shrikant has brought. It helped us and Sachin used to keep this in his custody. Many times we saw glowing eyes of animals and used to stop the car and turn for the light to fall on the animal. But to our vain it was never a tiger. During our journey it rained for about half an hour in stretches. Due to rain and due to fear of animals, we never came out of our vehicle. Sachin continued has alcoholic drink without any company.

During return time I felt vomiting sensation. We purchased anti-vomiting pill and abdul took one before start of the journey. I also took one on feeling the sensation, but I could not resist and vomited the complete food we take. It relieved much. On passing through a village we further purchased the pill and I took more. I also took “Sprite” and shared among us. Richard by himself brought a lemon, pressed it with palms and asked me to smell the whole intermittently. It was a good natural anti-vomiting way. After passing the jungles and as the normal road approached all our excitement was vanished. During return the movie “Sarfarosh” was played. We enjoyed the movie and don’t know of others, I slept.

We were woke by Richard on reaching Mysore. He took us to Mysore-Palace. It’s a beautiful fort illuminated by lights in the night. We took few pictures there. Then we moved to a Church. And after then again we slept and finally awake on reaching Bangalore.

We reached at Shrikant’s house at 4 o’clock in the morning and without wasting time went to sleep. Surbhi and her friend were in the house and opened the door for us. We woke up at 8 o’clock. The cook there prepared idli. After having idli we went outside for tea and for last trip to the city at Bangalore. Little after we were divided and Abdul and I returned along with.

Abdul and I decided to take coconut water. We asked for price and it was Rs.10. The seller offered us a matured coconut, with a thick white pulp. We asked him to give us one with little pulp, and our asking lead to an argument. Finally the seller threw the coconut already cut with some slang language. We decided not to go further on argument at a new place. We left the place and then went to a juice shop and had pineapple juice. After then we returned to Shrikant’s house.

I had to return to Kolkata and Pondi, Abdul, Sachin and Baikunth to Bilaspur. My train was at 19.00 hrs and their train at 22.20 hrs. I had to leave Shrikant’s house at about 16.30 hrs. I had to travel for about 36 hrs alone. They were four to return to Bilaspur. I missed their company at the time of return.

COONOOR / SUICIDE POINT

Our next days programme included “suicide-point” on the morning of 8th May, which is about 30 kilometres from Ooty. On asking to the driver he said it will take about 1½ to 2 hours. We planned that we will go there in the morning at about 5.30 and on return from there will further decide our day. On knowing that its only about 2 hour’s time, Pondi preferred to stay in the hotel and sleep as hes was feeling feverish. Pondi hasn’t sleep in the car on our journey from Bangalore to Ooty. So we left him on the hotel room. As Pondi was asleep, Shrikant locked the door of the room from outside so that he has not to get up to secure the doors. While coming out of the room we took a snap of him, looking like a dead body, and we joked about him through out the journey calling him dead body.



We started by taking tea / coffee at the hotels restaurant, then driving through narrow and terrain roads, much blocked by incoming traffic to Ooty. Our first stop was at Coonoor Railway Station. We there enquired about the train timings and planned to return from Coonoor to Ooty by narrow guage train.



We next stopped at a tea garden on the Ooty-Coonoor road. It was green mountains, green slopes. We took few snaps, and plucked a stem of tea.

After then we stopped at a roadside staff and had tea. The stall’s roof top was a sight seeing place. We may have waited there for another 45 minutes. Our time target of two hours was very much surpassed by. One thought was a fun that Pondi is in hotel’s room locked from outside. We were making jokes of him by calling him “dead body” and in Hindi similar term “marha”. Still we were half of the way to suicide point and already it was 9.30 am.

“Suicide Point” is a place pictured in many Hindi movies, and few are “Saajan, No Entry, Raaz”. From Ooty the entire route has so beautiful landscape that anywhere one can stop to have the glimpse of the beauty. We also had done so. Then we reached “suicide-point”. It’s on the top of the rock “Dolphin-Nose Point”. One can have the ideas on seeing the image only. The suicide point is surrounded by railings. The suicide point is on top and the mountain is not sloping down rather somewhat vertically straight. May this be an easier place to commit suicide, so named. From suicide point one can view “Catherina Falls”. The guide told us that some British lady named so has committed suicide on knowing that her man is in love with another girl. The Catherina Falls is facing towards “suicide point” or “Dolphin Nose Point”. There may be some other points called “suicide point” so this place is better known as “Dolphin Nose Point”.

There’s a view of a mountain called sleeping lady. Viewing from far make it feel like a lady is sleeping. We spent much time at this place. Actually the place is worth seeing. The weather is cool and sunny in the morning and one can find range of hills in every direction. We had our breakfast there. Some of us had egg-bread toast and some had “kachaudi” at a shop. We asked for tea from the adjacent shop. The tea served was really good. The shop selling prepared tea also sells tea leaves. They say that the tea is fresh from the tea gardens at Ooty. There are varieties of tea, like Chocolate, Masala, Lemon and many other types. They also offered us sample i.e. little quantity of prepared tea free of cost. Their intention was to sell tea leaves after tasting the tea. We also trapped on their trick. Being satisfied with the sample we altogether bought large quantity from there. After returning to our own places and preparing tea, we realised that we were deceived. Those shop-keepers also sell different types of spices. The always give samples. Thank to God that we didn’t purchased other things. Now the time would be around 12.30 in the noon. We started at 6.00 in the morning for two hours programme, and Pondi was locked inside the room and we were enjoying the day, the places, and every time used to address Pondi as “Dead body or Marha”.

Our next visiting point was a hill top area, much covered with trees. I actually for got the name, but one can see range of hills from that place also. There every road divides the sloping tea garden. Several local workers in their style of dressing and working can be seen.

After visiting this place, we were to return to our hotel. There was an option to return by the train from Coonoor to Ooty. For that we had to reach Coonoor by our car. After reaching Coonoor Railway Station, we had about one hour left for our train. So Shrikant and Baikunth decided not to wait and they returned by car to Ooty. Abdul, Sachin and I preferred to return by train. As this tour can not be made frequently and ride in that train may not happen in the imminent future, so we considered waiting for the train a better option.

Abdul, Sachin and I were hungry. We took Curd-Rice being sold at Coonoor Railway Station. As we had enough time to spend, we went to Steam cum Diesel Loco Shed on the opposite side of the railway station. The personnel there allowed us to visit there. We took photographs there. We spent about 45 minutes there. Some of the pictures are presented here.

Then we reached to the Station. There were many passengers for train ride. The train between Coonoor and Ooty run on Diesel engine and to my surprise on Engine-Pushing.

Another train coming to Coonoor.


At a height of 2,600m stands Udhagamandalam (Ooty) the Queen of Hill Stations. The 'Nilgiri toy train' connects Ooty to Mettupalayam, at the foot of the Nilgiris.The constructions of this line were a big challenge as the terrain is rather tricky. It was in 1854 that the first plans were drawn to build a mountain railway from Mettupalayam to the Nilgiri Hills. But it was a good 45 years later in 1899 that the first train chugged up this track. This railway is widely regarded as a marvel of engineering. The train itself is a charming blue and cream with wooden coaches and large windows. It is hauled uphill by steam engines, designed and built by the Swiss Locomotive Works. Twelve of such locomotive engines survive even today.The train covers the 46 km to Udhagamandalam in four - and - half hours. There are five stations between Mettupalayam and Coonoor - Kallar, Adderley, Hill Grove, Runnymede and Kateri - and, at one time, there were five between Coonoor and Ooty too. Though Wellington, Aruvankadu, Ketti, and Lovedale are still functional, Fern Hill, the last one, was closed down a few years ago.Extensive rice fields surround the 7 km stretch between Mettupalayam and Kallar. Soon after is an impressive 21 km section through truly rocky terrain. The track passes over 26 viaducts and twists and bends through 13 tunnels. After a steep climb, the train enters Coonoor, the little hill station known for its tea plantations. From here, the track is uphill till you reach Fern Hill at a height of 2,218m, the highest point on the railroad. Shortly before Ooty, the line dips downhill. If you enjoy taking pictures, keep your camera ready for a few shots of the viaduct between Kallar and Adderley.

The Maximum permissible speed on Mettupalaiyam-Kallar and Coonoor-Udagamandalam "Non-Rack" system is 30 while between Kallar and Coonoor "RACK" section the maximum permissible speed is 13 kmph.The region covered by the Nilgiri Mountain Railway gets rainfall during the south-west and north-east monsoons. The average rainfall is of the order of 1250 mm at Udagamandalam, 1400 mm at Coonoor and 500 mm at Mettupalaiyam. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway keeps chugging despite thedownpour.

One can find the train Time-Table at http://www.indianrail.gov.in/hill_2.html


Our train started Coonoor at 13.35 hrs and scheduled to reach Ooty at 14.50 hrs. covering a distance of 18 kms.

The journey was very beautiful between the Long Nilgiri trees, somewhere green tea garden slopes and sometimes rocky hills. The station in between are small, beautiful and peaceful.

The journey through the hills with shouting children of the train will make your journey happier. If you have a good companion then it’s too good.


One very interesting thing to mention that Abdul make a record in the train. He slept during the journey, and we do not miss the opportunity to shoot.

The stations are as:

We returned the station Udagamandalam at about 3 pm. The station at Ooty is named as Udagamandalam. The photo with the station name board makes a good remembrance, so we also done so.

We already asked Shrikant to send the car to the station. As we were waiting outside of the station our car arrived, and in the car was Pondi coming. This was Pondi’s first out of the hotel (BABY’S DAY OUT). Our two hours tour to Suicide Point in the morning ended at 3 pm a total 9 hrs. Pondi was locked inside the room. Shrikant and Baikunth returned by car, and opened the hotel room at about 1.30 in the noon. Till then Pondi was inside with no way to come out. The room at hotel had a window, but that leads to down slope of the mountain. Had Pondi tried that way, he may have made a new tourist visiting place called “Pondi’s Suicide Point”. So in lots of pictures Pondi is missing.

After then we returned to hotel at about 3.30 pm. Our next programme was to vacate the hotel and then visit another point.

There we took few photographs with our intention the keep Pondi in every image. But to his bad luck, the battery of the camera went down and we were able to take only seven snaps and Pondi was there in six of them.

Then we moved to the Chinese restaurant and as of previous day took chilli chicken and choumin. There we recharged our camera but in the short time it was only little charged. After that we had to return.

FIRST DAY AT OOTY

We reached Ooty at about 7.30 on the morning of 7th May 2008. We visited three or four hotels for a suitable room for six of us. We chose “Reemas Residency”. We took two adjacent rooms. There in Ooty, the rooms do not have fans. We preferred to take rest for a while and started our day at about 12.30. We went to a restaurant and took a South-Indian meal. The meal there was not at all good, in contrast to the food of Bangalore. From there we went to Ooty Lake. That’s a place having a lake with boating facility, and adjacent toy trains, rides etc.

After boating we went for rides, and then to watch a simulation movie. I watched such type of movie first time in my life. Abdul did not watched as he was afraid of giddiness from which he suffered during the journey. The movie was a story like the viewers are travelling by a train and the train runs through underground mine. The chairs used to move in different direction to make you feel the curves and gradients through which the train is passing by. The movie may be of 10 min. but filled the hall by shouts from every end.

There we photographed by a photographer and we six are in it. We have two or three such pictures.

After then we took ride on toy train and from there we went to “Ooty-Vally-Point”. We reached there at about 7.00 pm and it was late for view a mountain as it was complete dark.

We returned to our hotel and had dinner at a Chinese restaurant. We had chilli chicken, chowmin, veg friedrice etc. After reaching to hotel we chatted for a while and discussed about tomorrows programme.

SECOND DAY AT BANGALORE

Our plan for the day was to take lunch outside, explore the city, and to leave for Ooty at night. After tea we returned to house and went to toilet and bath. I found the bathroom was dirty everywhere, i.e. on commode seat, walls and doors. I flushed water to clean the commode and floor. I completed by bath and informed to others. All were confused as it has to be cleaned before Surbhi’s return. Later on they cleaned it properly.

Our next move was to take lunch outside. So we again went to A2B restaurant near the petrol pump. We asked for south Indian meal and it was served on a banana leaf. All items were specifically South-Indian dishes. From there we again went to Forum. We didn’t stay there long and Shrikant, Sachin and Baikunth decided to return to the house. Abdul, Pondi and I traversed a little at Forum, and then moved to Big-Bazaar nearby. Pondi has a wish to meet Shekhar Mishra. Shekhar is our friend from Bilaspur. We did not have his mobile number. Pondi called Surbhi for his number. Then Pondi called Shekhar. He was in office. He guided us some places at Bangalore. He also said he will come to Shrikant’s house in the evening to meet us. Shrikant moved to Bangalore few years back. At that time Shekhar was staying at Bilaspur. He went to Bangalore and stayed at Shrikant’s house and then got job at NIIT.

Well, after talking with Shekhar, we three went to electronics market. We had to walk a long to reach there but the market was not suitable to our expectations. Pondi purchased one DVD, and a tool-kit. From there we went to see Karnataka High Court and Vidhan Soudha which are located nearby. We may have walked 5 or 6 kms on that day. Vidhan Soudha is the Karnataka’s State Secretariat.









We three were very tired and at night we have to leave for Ooty. We returned to Shrikant’s house at about 7 pm. There Surbhi has called her one friend to stay there.

FIRST DAY AT BANGALORE

Shrikant has booked two cabs “Spot Taxi”. The cabs were Maruti Vans, equipped with walkie-talkie. For booking of cabs, one has to call their call centre and give their time and from and to place. The cab will arrive on stipulated place and time. The call centre contact to the driver on the walkie-talkie.

We reached Shrikant’s residence at about 2 pm. After taking bath we went for lunch. We took Masala-Dosa and Lassi at A2B restaurant. The restaurant in beside a petrol pump. From there we went to “Forum”. Bangalore’s Forum is similar to Kolkata’s one. Shrikant was hosting us and every time doing more that we were expecting. On entering forum, he bought cool drinks from McDonalds. We visited various shops. Even we planned to purchase some gift for Shrikant or for Surbhi, Shrikant’s wife. But the prices at Bangalore surpassed our combined budget. Abdul purchased 3 DVD from landmark and Shrikant purchased two, one is DDLJ and another is Sarfarosh. Before leaving Forum he again bought Cola-ice -cream from McDonalds.

From there we went to buy liquor as Shrikant was giving us a bachelor’s party. We went to a shop which sells groceries, packed items, toiletries, cigarettes and alcohol. Shrikant asked everybody for their choice. I never tasted wine and know only one name, so asked Zinzi. He also bought Bacardi, King Fisher, Fosters, Bacardi Breezer, Smirnoff . For cigarette I chose Marlboro among various other international brands.
Among us Abdul is a teetotaller. But if anyone sees this image what he will think.

After returning to his residence we all again took bath. We all changed to casuals but Sachin’s dress is to be specifically mentioned. He wore off white colour kurta and pajama like he is attending marriage party. After dinner, Surbhi has to leave to her friend’s house, so as to vacate for our Bachelor’s party. As soon as Surbhi left, Sachin changed his dressing and turned to Bermuda and banyan. His 15 min dressing was only to show Surbhi.

We all prepared to take drinks. I was taking after long time and felt uncomfortable after two servings, yet took three. Shrikant many times said “kanta nahi hila” means to say that he has not attained the state of euphoria. Sachin’s case was also same. Pondi may have had sufficient. They were feeling that stock was insufficient, but to Baikunth it was more than excess. He started vomiting and his language became abusive sometimes comic and sometimes serious.

We all were gossiping on various topics. At about 2 am we went to sleep. I woke at about 7 am on be shouted by Sachin. He asked all to vacate the room. Shrikant, Abdul, and Pondi were already in the living room. Later I came to know that Baikunth has done toilet on his bed. Sachin was scolding him. Sachin closed the room and started cleaning the room and toilet. The effect of hangover was still on me. Shrikant, Abdul, Pondi and I went outside for tea. I was feeling sleepy..

JOURNEY UPTO BANGALORE

We visited to Bangalore in May 2008. Shrikant is presently staying at Bangalore and has a good job at SAP Labs. Actually he insisted or somewhat pressurized us to visit there. He has been asking us for long to visit there. For us to visit from different places at the same time needed some reason and lacking of this was only delaying our plan.

Pondi (Shailendra Sinha), Abdul (Abdul Mazid Khan), Sachin (Sachin Pandey) and Baikunth (Baikunth Nath Shrivastava) were from Bilaspur and myself (Jaydeep Banerjee) from Kolkata. They were to start their journey from Bilaspur and had to change train at Vishakapatnam. Although I had a direct train from Howrah to Bangalore, yet I preferred to travel with them from Vishakapatnam. Vishakapatnam is the junction station at which trains from Bilaspur and Howrah met. From Bilaspur to Vishakapatnam they traveled by 8517 Korba-Vishakapatnam Link Express. I traveled from Howrah to Vishakapatnam by 2841 Howrah-Chennai Coromondal Express. From Vishakapatnam to Bangalore we all traveled by 8463 Bhubaneswar-Bangalore Prashanti Express.

I reached Vishakapatnam at 4 o’clock on the morning of 4th May 2008. Their train i.e. Link Express was scheduled to arrive at 7.30 in the morning. As I had few hours I stayed at waiting hall. There I met some Railway personnel posted at Araku. One of them name Basudev is Bengali speaking. As Araku is a tourist place, he can arrange rest house and food for seasonal tourist. Araku is situated in Vishakapatnam-Jagdalpur section or more specifically called Kirandul-Kotavalasa (KK) section. Only on passenger train runs in the section in each direction in a day.

I had earlier toured Vishakapatnam, Araku and Burra Caves. As I had time I decided to visit Vishakapatnam sea beach. Basudev directed me the way to reach there. I visited the beach earlier in the evening and there were too many tourist, food stalls and vendors.

But in the morning, the scene was entirely different, no vendors, all stalls were closed and no tourist. The beach was scantily filled with joggers, people doing exercise, children playing. The bus from station dropped to a place near Taj hotel, and I walked to the direction where there a submarine is placed. Shrikant informed that Link-express is running on time. I tried to call Abdul or Pondi, but their mobile were not responding. I returned to station at about 8 am, and came to know that their train already arrived. i found Abdul buying sweetened milk. Also Baikunth was sitting at a place where the entire luggage was kept. Sachin and Pondi went to pay-toilet. I asked Abdul to go to waiting room upstairs for toilet and bath, yet they completed there only.



Now we had to take food. They had brought Puri, vegetables, pickles, and stuff for salad. We went upstairs to the waiting halls and had our lunch. Our next train Prashanti-express arrived at about 12 in the noon. Our seats were scattered. Pondi, Abdul, and Sachin were in a group, Baikunth in a different bogie and I in a third one. Due to our combined effort our seats we got seats in two bogies and only baikunth has to spend night at a different bogie.



Sachin and Baikunth took alcohol in the train, don’t know how they arranged and when they take. At almost every big station during day time we used to get down. At Rajmundhry, we purchased bananas. The seller hardly agree to our bargained price gave us unripe bananas though yellow skinned but hard from inside. Yet thanks to hunger which helped us in eating those. Beside Rajmundhry there lies Godawari barrage a long one.

The next big station, (I dropped some stations) is Vijayawada. We took some food and coffee there. Sachin and I helped a girl to fill her water bottle. She was traveling along with us from Vishakapatnam. She was going to Satya Sai Prashanti Nilayam (SSPN) and doing some course at Satya Sai Institute.

The next big station was Guntur. We reached at about 7 pm. The station was big and very beautiful, clean platforms and well maintained, well decorated. The interior looks like of a cinema hall. Pondi and I went outside initially and later Abdul also. The station is provided with many mobile charging points which helped us.

We went to sleep late. I was in middle berth and Abdul under me. Pondi was on the middle berth opposite to me. Pondi and I talked long as sleep was suppressed by sharing of experiences and emotions. Our train stopped at a small and dark station for about 30 or 40 min. both of us went down, shared and smoked one cigarette.

Next morning we all woke up late at about 8 am. Our train was running late by about 3 hrs. We expected to reach Bangalore at 9.30 am. We called Shrikant to inform about our late arrival. But he already had left his residence for us. After we reached Bangalore and after exchange of hi and hello we went outside.