Jim Corbett National Park

I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days for a retreat near the Jim Corbett National Park.

It takes 7 hours of uneven road travel to reach the Park area in the Uttaranchal State. The road from Delhi is part highway, part dusty tracks by the side - lots of dust I should say. Infrastructure cries for redemption all over India, and this area is no exception. Except I expected a better infrastructure around Delhi than in any other part of the country ! With heavy trucks, lorries, buses, cars, vans, tractors, bullock carts, and cycles (apart from the occasional pedestrians trying to cross the road risking their lives), it requires heavy concentration and ability to brake rather very quickly to manoeuvre the highway.

Nevertheless, Jim Corbett is worth a trip. Though it is rare to sight any tigers (I didn’t), or elephants, I managed to see deers and monkeys. I guess one has to spend considerable time within the forest area in order to be able to see anything more significant. There are procedures to be complied with while gaining admittance into the park. Like most publicly maintained facilities in India, there is confusion while going in - they ask a lot of questions and delay the entry while checking a series of documents, including driving licenses ! It is never smooth, coordinated, easy entry for tourists who have taken the trouble to come all the way.

However, finally one gets in on a four-wheel drive - the Maruti Gypsy. It’s a rough ride all the way, and people with back problems better be careful. The ride can’t be made smoother, there is no proper road inside - it is a dirt track all the way. The drivers are quite rough and push the vehicles to extreme performance while ensuring a rocky ride to the passengers. But, you tend to ignore all that, in the hope of seeing some wild animals.

Suddenly, the driver stops the vehicle and shuts down the ignition, and cautions all of us to be silent. We look around carefully, holding our breath. Voila, there comes a deer ! We raise the cameras, and it appears frightened. However, we manage to capture some shots……the driver now explains it would be better to go along the river stream to see the elephants, but alas, no such luck.

Here are some photos, some more in the next post :

DSC08394.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Jim Corbett National Park

DSC08370.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Road leading to Jim Corbett National Park

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A poor shot of the deer…….from a moving vehicle

DSC08377.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Gypsies at the parking lot

DSC08407.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

A view of the river stream

DSC08406.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

River Stream at Jim Corbett

DSC08390.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

A dirt track in Jim Corbett - one can see the big pebbles on both sides of the track

DSC08381.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Lunch with the Tigers, anyone ?

DSC08382.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Periphery of the Park

DSC08393.JPG, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

A view of the dirt track inside the National Park

Hope you relished the pics, though nothing great. Make the Jim Corbett National Park as one of your “must-see” places.

Some of the relevant links for your further read on Jim Corbett are as follows :

“Corbett Park”

“Jim Corbett (hunter) - Wikipedia”

“Jim Corbett National Park - Spectrum Tours”

Have a great weekend

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
12 April 2008
Mumbai

Abode of Purity

I went to Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani over the last couple of days.

This is the best place I have yet visited in Maharashtra State. It took approximately 6 hours (with some half-hour break on the way) to reach the place from Mumbai. You spend almost 90 minutes of it trying to get out of Mumbai, which is always messed up on the way out via Powai, Chembur, Panvel, Vashi, etc., All these big lorries create chaos on the road, and headaches for the drivers forced to follow them. Apart from these, one has to contend with real bad driving habits of young drivers with mini cars whizzing past from left and right. Then you have those tourist buses who refuse to move out of the right most lane. Well, I can go on and on…….

Once we hit the Pune Expressway, it was good, and even beyond…..the roads were in pretty decent condition towards Satara and even up the hill towards Panchgani. After a long time, it was a winding road experience but not for too long. I was amazed at the speed at which we gained height - all of 4,000 Ft !

The air and water are still pure in Mahabaleshwar, despite commercialization. The place is not as confusing or poorly maintained as Matheran, the other hill station which I visited several months ago - see my earlier post - “Matheran Visit”

Mahabaleshwar is known for its several fantastic “view” points on the various hills of the Sahyadri Mountain Range. There is a lot to write about the experience, but since I am out of time, I thought I will quickly put up some pictures for your enjoyment. More prose sometime later !

DSC08163, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Elephant Head Point

DSC08235, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Sahyadri Mountains - a Fabulous View

DSC08201, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The Venna Lake near Mahabaleshwar - good for rowing

DSC08170, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

On top of the Elephant Head Point

DSC08135, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Another very captivating view of the mountain range……..

DSC08099, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

There is a fort on top of this mountain - the famed Pratapgarh Fort

DSC08098, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The serrated ridges of the mountain range

DSC08092, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

View of a dam on the Krishna River basin

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Beautiful View of the Krishna basin from 4,000 feet high

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The “Elephant Head” clearly visible

DSC08161, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Lodwick Point with inscription of the story of the man who made it to this spot in 1824 (see next pic)

DSC08165, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The inscription on General Peter Lodwick

DSC08145, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

A bit unsafe - better not get excited about the view too much !

There are many more nice photos, but one had to make choices !

Have a great week ahead,

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
10th Feb 2008
Mumbai

Madurai - The Temple City

I visited Madurai last weekend for a very close friend’s daughter’s wedding.

Madurai is the second biggest city of Tamilnadu, but has never felt like one - you always get a feeling of a rather “big” village ! It is the city in which I was born !!

I attended the wedding and then went around to the place where we last lived. It was nostalgic - the place in itself has not changed much, though several friends pointed out to the rampant commercialisation of what, in effect, was a purely residential area a decade ago. However, I could not feel any difference, may be I was caught up too much in those familiar surroundings.

I then walked around quite a bit, may be say 3 Kms, before I decided to proceed to the Meenakshi Temple in central Madurai. The temple environment looked almost exactly similar to the last time I visited (around 8 years ago), but there were some changes ofcourse. The Temple was cleaner, they had stopped all the traffic around the temple, and there was a lot of security. I believe they are paving the road around the temple in some marble……this is a landmark Temple in a city which probably has more than a hundred temples. Most pilgrims from the North of India stop here on the way to Rameswaram.

Took some photos as usual, and here these are - I knew almost every place around, and it was difficult to leave the city in less than 12 hours. There are many people to meet, but there is always this lack of time. However, this is a place I would come again sometime in the future for a more leisurely visit.

Photos from the Streets of Madurai, the Temple City :

DSC07905, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

A thoroughfare in Madurai City

DSC07976, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

A road leading to the Meenakshi Temple

DSC07927, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The American College, Madurai, where I did my Pre-University

DSC07916, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The road in a leafy suburb where we lived……

DSC07909, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Old house which has now been completely reconstructed

Photos of the Meenakshi Temple :

DSC07978, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

One of the main entrances to the famous Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple of Madurai

DSC07968, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The “Golden Lotus Tank” of the Temple

DSC07959, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The “Golden Lotus” at the centre of the Temple Pond

DSC07961, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

A view of the Temple Tower - there are several of them

DSC07951, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Another view of the Temple Towers……..

Hope you enjoyed a sample of Madurai City, which till date retains its old world charm, with simple people though commercialisation is creeping its way through slowly.

Cheers and Have a Good Week Ahead,

Vijay Srinivasan
3rd February 2008
Mumbai

Murud-Janjira Fort Visit

This visit was the highlight of our Kashid resort trip just before the year-end.

Since my driver had returned to Mumbai, I had the challenging experience of navigating the road to Murud Village (from Prakruti Resort). This was a hair-raising exposure to the hazards of driving in India. There was hardly any traffic, so we did enjoy the first 15 Kms of the way enroute to Murud. At one point when we were climbing up the hilly terrain, we saw the beautiful rocky beach of Murud coming up. And, suddenly, the Janjira Fort came into view in the middle of the sea. I thought that the fort appeared to be far away into the sea, which was not true. Due to the curving beach all along the coastline, it could appear that way, but really speaking from another point after crossing the village, the Janjira Fort is hardly two Kms into the sea from the nearest coastline (atleast from the ferry boarding point).

I drove through the village, the road quickly becoming a narrow piece of lane, and had to traverse traffic coming headon with quite some skill. At couple of places, I had to even reverse the car, since there was just no space for a bus or a lorry to pass through. It was terrible infrastructure, I don’t understand why the main highway needs to pass through a small village. The only solace is that the poor, simple local people are very helpful when you end up going in the wrong direction. They always help you out of the morass and guide you to the right road. All this happened to me, and it was interesting to see that people still stop and stare at you, as though they could not understand why we were taking all this trouble in the first place !

We reached Murud Village, stopped for a while, and walked around the pristine white-sands beach. I was surprised to note that the beach was quite clean. I expected lot of plastic waste on the beach, so it was good to look at and enjoy the beach like what it should be. Great place to go to and may be take a horse ride ! Several people were doing that.

I looked around for the boat jetty but could not find it. So, asked around, and drove another 4 Kms to another end of the village (after climbing a hill !) and landed at the point at which they take people on a boat ride to Janjira Fort. We took the regular boat service, but I was aghast to discover that they did not follow any safety rules at all. It was not a regulated service, and I am sure nobody would take any responsibility for mishaps. There were no safety belts, or life-saving devices on the boat which actually goes out into the sea for a couple of KMs ! Anyway, we wanted to experience such a boat ride (!) and having been assured that the ride is “perfectly safe” (by office colleagues as well as some other tourists), we took the plunge. The boat was struggling to go forward due to all the extra stuffing of school-going children into the small boat, and it took more than 30 minutes to actually reach and disembark all the passengers. Getting down from the boat was a bit scary because one had to jump out from the boat onto slippery footsteps leading upto the main entrance of the Fort.

You can read all about this impregnable sea fort at these websites - “MurudJanjira” and “Wikipedia”

The Fort could have been maintained well due to its tourist attraction value, and more for its archaelogical and historical significance and beauty. But that was not to be - this was one of the worst maintained historical places that I have visited in India - in fact, I don’t think it is under any kind of Government (Archaelogical Survey of India) maintenance at all. The fort had been thoughtfully laid out as anyone could see walking around the dilapidated ruins. Such a beautiful fort has been laid to waste and stripped of any assets, just lying in the middle of the sea not able to reclaim its 400-year old legacy. There were lots of tourists, especially lots of children.

I took several photos of the Janjira Fort (I really liked the place, don’t get me wrong), and the sea around it. It could have been transformed into a beautiful resort, or converted to a museum. Take a look !

DSC07799, originally uploaded by padmavs.

The Beautiful Janjira Fort in the middle of the sea

DSC07805, originally uploaded by padmavs.

The Fort from another angle - notice the deteriorating condition of the walls after 400 years of lashing by the sea !

DSC07819, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The Entrance to the Fort and the passenger alighting point

DSC07795, originally uploaded by padmavs.

The view of the serene beach and the village from the Janjira Fort

DSC07876, originally uploaded by padmavs.

The swimming pool of the fort which has turned green !

DSC07879, originally uploaded by padmavs.

The beautiful view of the sea from a vantage point inside the Fort

DSC07859, originally uploaded by padmavs.

Dilapidated Status of the Fort……..almost all parts of the Fort are similar in their extent of deterioration

DSC07857, originally uploaded by padmavs.

Broken Structures everywhere……obviously due to vandalism

DSC07843, originally uploaded by padmavs.

Great Architectural Designs all over the Fort — if only these had been preserved for posterity………..

DSC07839, originally uploaded by padmavs.

Another view of the broken structures - the cannons seem to be all right !

DSC07831, originally uploaded by padmavs.

A majestic palace view from a bygone era

Hope you enjoyed the pics !

Have a great weekend !!

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
5th Jan 2007
Mumbai

Journey to Kashid Beach

It took a little over 4 hours to reach Prakriti Resort situated at the Kashid Beach, a distance of approximately 135 Kms from Mumbai. We left at 7:40 AM on a weekday, and I thought it would take about 45 minutes to reach Panvel on the outskirts of Mumbai, boy were I wrong ? It took 30 minutes more than that ! There was very heavy traffic at Chembur, and on the stretch of the lousy highway approaching Panvel. Added to this delay, my driver took a turn towards JNPT, the port trust road on which there was virtually zero traffic leading to suspicion that he did not really know the route that well. We finally came back to Panvel, found the Goa Highway (actually a two lane road with no central divider), and were enroute to Alibaug !

I noticed several funny behaviours of road users (as I normally do, can’t resist the temptation to notice and then blog about it). Since the road has just two lanes, the fast cars (especially the small ones and the motorcycles to boot) constantly keep trying to overtake the slow lorries and buses, and sometimes the tractors, road-laying machines moving inch-by-inch, and bullock carts. Since these small cars are indeed small in their girth, they do not seem to mind when their left-hand space on the road gets filled up by another car or vehicle, when they are trying to overtake. They could accommodate, in the true spirit of “chalta hai”, which means it is “OK to adjust” - nobody is really wrong (or right, for that matter) on Indian roads, anyway.

However, when a broader car like mine (as are the many SUV variants one can find on the roads today) is trying to overtake, there is absolutely no space on the left side when it is filled by another vehicle - sometimes one can’t overtake, as the oncoming vehicle on the other side of the road could be coming in fast, so one has to pull back behind, and behold ! - there is suddenly no space to move behind and left ! Not only that, since you braked to reduce the speed, the car on the left accelerates trying to fill the very small gap now created between you and the slow-moving lorry or bus in the front !! Truly innovative and amazing, to say the least.

The other behaviour which is common on such “highways” is the speed of vehicular traffic. The cars are all actually Ferrari wannabees, they tend to accelerate for no reason, and also have absolutely no reason to be inches away from the vehicle before them and suddenly break with whole-hearted effort, leaving the guy behind to gasp in absolute horror, which my driver did couple of times, albeit quietly, as he was also to blame. Such radical driving behaviour enthralls the audience, while they clutch the rims of their seats in a state of fright. Great stuff !

Another unique behaviour is the use of headlights during daytime. Any driver can flash his head lights when he has the first chance to do so, and make you wait while he gets to use your lane for overtaking. You have no option but to brake, since you were not sharp or quick enough to flash the lights first. This frequently happens in a two-lane highway with no dividers, and you would not want to risk yourself and your passengers by going head on though it is your own right of way !

The Goa Highway was decent in most parts up to Alibaug. Once we hit Alibaug, it became a rural road, with no clear directions anywhere to be found. One had to ask around to figure out the way to Kashid / Murud Village. The villages were really poor countryside one-road affairs, with ladies carrying stuff on their heads to the marketplace, and students in uniforms walking to schools. Hardly any decent houses, very poor infrastructure, villagers selling vegetables by the roadside, really the heart of India so to say. I was not surprised to have learnt repeatedly that most people in India live by the equivalent of USD 1 per day (may be USD 2 now, but does it matter except as a National Statistic ?). The real challenge to any government would be to uplift these poor folks and integrate them into the mainstream developmental efforts of the nation, to really ensure that the fruits of economic growth quickly percolates to the poorest of the poor.

Coming back to our topic, the pity is that the road infrastructure which is a must for rural development, tourism, industrial production and transportation, et al, has been left to the mercies of some organization, I know not what ?! Deterioration was to be seen everywhere enroute - the highway quickly degenerated to pot-hole filled country roads, with space just enough to let two cars pass through in opposite directions. At couple of places, we had to back up since the road width in the village was not sufficient to let a lorry or a bus pass us. I do not understand the need to run the highway through the village, instead of skirting the village, and avoid serious congestion and mishaps.

But people nevertheless pursue their own wont, despite all the hiccups and challenges. Nobody seemed to complain or refer to all this, not even the well-heeled types staying in the resort, all of whom seem to have used their cars to get there. We met a few foreigners as well as Indian returnees from U.S., who seem to be completely nonchalant about the travel troubles. However, I feel that it remains our duty to constantly push the government of the day to enhance the infrastructure, and make it world-class. Let us atleast compare ourselves with China, if not the U.S.

I will soon write about a place of historical importance that we visited in Murud, which is in a state of utter disrepair. Also, the safety angle which has been consistently neglected in sea transportation. Some great photos are also to be posted soon about this beautiful holiday resort and beaches…….look out folks.

Have a Wonderful finish to 2007, and a Great New Year in 2008 !

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
30 December 2007
Mumbai

Udaipur Pics #2

I went around Udaipur a bit, especially around the lake. It is an enchanting place, very romantic in the evenings especially when the sun sets.

I tried my hand in shopping but that did not work out well - the paintings were overpriced.

Nevertheless, I am sure that Udaipur ought to be in one’s India itinerary. Its regal splendour would charm most people.

Some more pics here for your viewing pleasure - you can see that one needs a Digital SLR instead of ordinary Digital Cameras for such shots. But given the compactness and convenience of small digital cameras, one can’t complain too much. Here you go !

DSC07552, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The Lake Palace - beautiful in its white splendour and solitude in the middle of the Lake…….

DSC07576, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Lovely Sunset from the banks of the Udaipur Lake - in the background is the Lake Palace

DSC07582, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel

DSC07586, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Beautifully lit lake palace at Sunset

DSC07587, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Garlanded landing station for boats

DSC07593, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Fabulously lit Pichola Palace on the lake

DSC07597, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Inside the courtyard of the Pichola Lake Palace

DSC07600, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Entrance of the Pichola Lake Palace

Enjoy the pics, and do visit Udaipur !

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
22 December 2007
Mumbai

Udaipur Pics #1 (Udaivilas)

Sometimes, one wishes to be a King.

If you are one of the folks who would like to temporarily feel like a King, then one of the best places to go (in India) would be Udaipur. Actually, Udaipur is a small town in the State of Rajasthan. The State is famous for its palaces and forts, and ofcourse, the eternal city of Jaipur also known as the “Pink City”. Jaipur is the capital city of the State.

If you wish to be a modern King, then again Udaipur offers the Oberoi Udaivilas Hotel, a modern grandeur on the lines of the traditional fortress looking structures of Rajasthan. It is a wonderful experience to stay in this Hotel and enjoy the service levels that one can only dream about in other 5-Star Hotels around the world. Oberoi is anyway known for outstanding service and courtesy. While the grand entrance astounds the senses, I was not impressed by the lobby area which was quite small for a King’s presence. The fusion of modernity with the elegance and tradition of Rajasthani palace was a bit jarring at some places around the Hotel. This is not really a King’s Palace outsourced like many others around Rajasthan to hoteliers who convert the same into grand hotels without destroying the original beauty and elegance. Udaivilas is a newly conceived palace. Take a look at the pics below :

DSC07507, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Oberoi Udaivilas View

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The Swimming Pool area

DSC07516, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Beautiful Courtyard

DSC07518, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Garden View

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Breakfast at 8 deg Celsius !

DSC07539, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

At the entrance

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Intricate Structural Beauty

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A view of the entrance

DSC07548, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The Grand Entrance to the Hotel

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One feels like a King !

I took more than 50 pics of the Hotel…….it’s again a great experience to visit Udaipur and stay in this outstanding Hotel, recommended strongly.

Have A Wonderful Weekend Folks,

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
16th December 2007
Mumbai

Singapore Friends

It was great to connect with some good and loyal friends in Singapore, with whom I enjoy an excellent relationship. I met a few other friends as well, but no photos, sorry !

DSC07301, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Old Friends in Singapore, enjoying drinks at a bar off Mohamed Sultan Road………

DSC07306, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Pleasure to meet old contacts in the enchanting environs of Singapore……

DSC07298, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Tech mate……..

DSC07299, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Pleasant Memories……..

See You Again Mates……..

Cheers !

Vijay Srinivasan
14 October 2007
Mumbai

Macau Downtown Visit

There is nothing much one can do in Macau except to gamble and shop around. It is a historical place as well, ruled surprisingly by the Portuguese for over 400 years from Goa ! It was amazing to hear that. But there is hardly any “Indian” influence, there were not many Indian tourists either. The weather was stuffy, not unlike in Mumbai currently. Quite hot I should say, dark glasses and a hat would help.

Some of the photos I took around this part of the city are as shown below :

DSC07370, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Downtown Macau - shopping, walking around, visiting church monuments, et al……..only the weather was not that great in early October - quite hot. In any case, enjoyable time.

DSC07395, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

The 400-year old Portuguese Church burnt down by the Chinese at the centre of Macau. Lots of crowds visit this place of historical and religious significance.

DSC07396, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Another view of the Church………

DSC07390, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Busy Shopping District of Macau. I walked quite a bit around this area, and the narrow street leads up to the Church you see above.

DSC07378, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Shopping and festivities all around !

DSC07377, originally uploaded by vjsri99.

Celebrations ! and, McDonalds’ thrives everywhere !!

I could not get a taxi back to the Ferry Bus Stop, so used a bus service. It was exactly like India - people thronging and pushing their way in, though in less numbers than in India. Not many seats in the bus though - most people were standing in the central space of the bus. The difference was that the bus doors actually closed before the bus moved, and there were “stop” buttons which one could press to stop the bus at the oncoming stop.

It was worth the time looking around these places, though it was hot and stuffy.

Cheers, have a great week ahead,

Vijay Srinivasan
14 October 2007
Mumbai

Venice in Macau

I stayed at a really amazing hotel which opened for the public only on 28th August 2007, less than 5 weeks old (when I stayed). That is the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau, Special Administrative Region of China.

DSC07330, originally uploaded by padmavs.

On the boat in the Venetian waters of Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Macau

DSC07331, originally uploaded by padmavs.

They are all looking down at me, or my boat ! This is the turning point for the boat, so I am sure there is no other boat in the vicinity !

DSC07334, originally uploaded by padmavs.

Our Boatkeeper ! He comes from a place 100 miles from Venice ! Yes, from Italy !!

DSC07333, originally uploaded by padmavs.

The beautiful visage of the building surrounding the Venetian Canal - this is called “Grand Canal Shopping”…….

DSC07345, originally uploaded by padmavs.

The ornate entrance to the Casino Hall of the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel

DSC07348, originally uploaded by padmavs.

At the Lobby of the Hotel. Just amazingly lavish.

DSC07353, originally uploaded by padmavs.

Amazing portraits on the ceilings - they don’t allow photography, so you have to steal the appropriate moments.

DSC07354, originally uploaded by padmavs.

The cavernous meeting halls at the Convention Centre of the Hotel.

More photos of Macau later…..

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
9th October 2007
Mumbai