10 Days of Complete Bliss!

The seed of the Bangalore-Mysore-Pondicherry trip was sown when Natascha and I were discussing on our own separate plans for the holidays. It'd been 12 years since I last visited my relatives in Bangalore (and I've them in abundance there); and that too for a wedding of my cousin. Unlike all my other plans, this one was decided and finalised in a short time.

Bangalore-Mysore-Pondicherry

31 October - 9 November

• Saturday, 31 October

Boarding the train for Bangalore

Boarded the train from the Pune railway station in the afternoon. I would be lying if I were to tell you that I wasn't tensed - my first long trip alone, and who I have for a company... a German friend, Natascha Kirchner :-)

The journey to Bangalore was quite private, in the the sense that we were just the four of us in the compartment - an elderly couple and we too. It was all good except for the delay of two hours. But then this delay turned out to be a blessing for us as we could dozed off for an extra couple of hours (our train was scheduled to reach Bangalore at 6.20 am!)

• Sunday, 1 November

A quick breakfast of Dosa and freshly squeezed Orange juice at Shantala's place nestled among trees of all kinds and varieties (I likes)

We moved on to Gurjar House - our base :-)

After a good lunch of Chicken and an afternoon siesta, evening time and dinner at the Bangalore Club with all the Gurjars. This is one of those erstwhile clubs which still has rules on dressing etiquette, surprisingly only for men - collared shirts with formal shoes only!

• Monday, 2 November

Mysore - one day tour

A day when I was mistaken for a foreigner not once but thrice at different places. NO, I'M NEITHER GLAD NOR THRILLED ABOUT IT!

Saw the Palace of Tipu Sultan (my childhood hero, thanks to the serial which used to be aired on TV), Mysore Palace, a church, Vrindavan Gardens, etc.
     

                                                         

• Tuesday, 3 November

With family & friends

It's a tough time when you have loads of close relatives staying in a certain city. You need to balance both - sight-seeing and visiting your kindred. It was a good thing that Natascha was very keen on knowing everyone from my family and meeting them.

Had a gala time with a friend, Ram in the evening - roaming around Church street, Brigade road. Having Donuts, Ice-creams and two games of Bowling the entire evening; followed by dinner at his place with his wife Preeti and a 2-month old daughter, Krishaa.

• Wednesday, 4 November

Natascha has this penchant for art and on Shantala's suggestion we went to a very famous Art Gallery in Bangalore. Needless to say that I was damn bored :-P

Left for Pondicherry at night. That was one hell of a bus-trip. We started at 10.30 pm and reached the outskirts of Pondi at 5.15 am!

• Thursday, 5 November

Pondicherry

It was not just reaching Pondicherry at 5.15 am, but then we'd to catch a rickshaw to the city which is a 6-7 km ride :-O The buses for some reason don't enter the Pondicherry State Border. Imagine you needing to wake up the hotel guys at 5.30 am and then checking-in :-D

We left for the Pondi tour on foot - yes, we roamed across the city on foot! I'm still wondering how and what it would have been like it weren't for my friend Ahuta Deshmukh, guiding us through the different areas of Pondi. Thanks a ton Ahuta :-)
                                   

It was déjà vu again that night when we'd to take a bus to Bangalore again at 10.30 pm.

• Friday, 6 November

No sooner did we reach Bangalore again than we hit the sacks and for some time! Getting up at noon, we lazed around for most of the day, completely tired with last day's events and on-foot touring :-)

After getting refreshed, it was Mainland China with the Gurjars for dinner.

• Saturday, 7 November

6.30 am walk around the Lal Bagh and followed it with a lip-smacking breakfast of Idlis & Dosas at MTR - the oldest place Bangalore has known.

Shopping, dining - SPLURGING was the motto of this day. Along with Chitra, Deepak and their kids we went on a spree. If it was à la carte the other night at Mainland China, it was buffet at Oriental Spice this afternoon. Beer included! :-)

One thing I was missing all this week was the (in)famous Bangalore traffic. Even spoke about it with Rahul and Shantala. Had enough of it on Saturday. It took 45 mins just to enter the parking area in the FORUM MALL in Kormangala. Now this one's HUUUUGE!  6 floors only for parking?! If this stat doesn't bill up to huge, then check this out - the Forum Mall has 14 cinema screens at the top! 14 ?!! With GOLD CLASS being one of its kind. And then it has the regular fare of branded shops, restaurants, cafes etc.

Saturday night was something again! Natascha had planned to cook German food for everybody - Kartoffeln Salat, Salami, Bread & Cheese (my cousins Rahul and Shantala prepare the bread & cheese at home, Wow!). Rahul had prepared Scrambled Eggs with other Salads.

To top it off we'd an Apple Strudel as dessert! That was sumptuous and filling.

• Sunday, 8 November

Final day of the trip. One last visit to relatives' place and then we move on to the return trip back to Pune.

Boarded the train at 4.30 pm lunch after some gappa. 


The return journey was not as exciting as the first one... we being on the berths most of the; completely tired at the end of a super and a little hectic but enjoyable trip.

• Monday, 9 November

PUNE!

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It would be ungrateful on my part not to thank Rahul Gurjar, Shantala Gurjar, Atul Gurjar, Sudha Gurjar, Chitra Gurjar, Deepak Vasishtha, Ahuta Deshmukh and Ishita Deshmukh from the bottom of my heart, without whom this wouldn't have been what it turned out to be!

Even the kids Arnav, Sahil and Avi for adding the fun-element to it.

I'm indebted to all of you and this is not just for the sake of writing... but I mean it :-) One of my best 'holidays'!