[pranava999]

Yeh dil mange more....

[Bapu]

Originally Posted by genesis

As a Hindi film lyricist once said:

"Sometimes Sometimes In My Heart, Comes A Thought...".
A week has gone by and I find myself with constant memories of...

To get over this state of mind, my friends, let me tell you a story of all that happened one weekend in the Little Rann Of Kutch...

Welcome back!! and what a comeback!!

Eagerly waiting for the travelogue considering the number of locations that you'd covered in 3 days!!

I too shall have my turn from December onwards.

[genesis]

Originally Posted by Bapu

Welcome back!! and what a comeback!!

Eagerly waiting for the travelogue

Thanks for the positive comments. My ego is now swollen to monstrous proportions. Not!
Any area which has extremes of nature is quite humbling. The Rann is one such place where a human quickly realises how small and insignificant he or she really is.

@Bapu:Thanks. Travelog has started...(I am past the Mumbai city limits atleast!) Will wake up tomorrow morning 6 am to continue.

@Sen2009: "Runn Gennei Runn!" Still trying to decipher that one. Did you mean the Bengali pronounciation of Gennei?

@tsk1979: Your ladakh photos were a prime source of jealousy and inspiration! Your photos did the job for me!

-genesis
Genesis - soumya.org

[pjay_in]

Great start Genesis. Waiting impatiently for the story to unfold.

[Majic]

Genesis, nice teasers there, you have now got my attention, please continue with the thread, wonderful pcitures, looking out for more to come!

[sen2009]

Originally Posted by genesis

Thanks for the positive comments. My ego is now swollen to monstrous proportions. Not!
Any area which has extremes of nature is quite humbling. The Rann is one such place where a human quickly realises how small and insignificant he or she really is.

@Bapu:Thanks. Travelog has started...(I am past the Mumbai city limits atleast!) Will wake up tomorrow morning 6 am to continue.

@Sen2009: "Runn Gennei Runn!" Still trying to decipher that one. Did you mean the Bengali pronounciation of Gennei?

@tsk1979: Your ladakh photos were a prime source of jealousy and inspiration! Your photos did the job for me!

-genesis
Genesis - soumya.org

I presume I meant.. Ginni! The smoky thingy that come out when aladin rubs it!

So, I requested you to get rubbing quick and post more photos... I mean photos of your Rann run.

[adc]

Really liked those opening pics! Rann and Gir always like wanted to go.. Surely a good travel story coming up and this goes direct to my archive.

Do continue the narration and with equally good photos.

[genesis]

Originally Posted by genesis

5.30 am departure on Thursday. 2hrs and 60km later I am stuck in the middle of smoke belching trucks, I was wondering when my luck would change...

There comes a time in a honest man's life when he takes the law into his own hands. An average speed of 30kmph despite waking up at 4.30am would qualify as one such moment...

With the song 'Patli Gali Se Nikal Bhi Ja' from 'ShortKut' blaring on the stereo, I summoned up my best M.G Road (from Delhi to Gurgaon) driving skills, morphed into my Delhi avatar and began an offroading session alternating between squeezing by on the left most dirt lane and chasing dumper trucks as they drove on the broad median divider between the two directions.

7.40 am (Manor 86km).

Crossed the Charoti toll plaza at 8.05 am (107km) and soon freed of the bad roads of Maharashtra, let the engine roar and entered Gujarat in transport phase mode.

Breakfast stop before Navsari (217km) at 10.00 am, restarted at 10.45am.
Brief fuel stop at 1.30 pm near Vadodara, Baroda Toll Plaza on Baroda-Ahmedabad Expressway at 1.50pm (423km), 2.35pm Expressway Ring Road Sarkhej Exit (504km).

(No pictures of the futuristic toll plazas and amazing banked 6 lane roads since n_c and sam have already shot their documentary)

Then began the undivided highway stretch taking us through Sarkhej, Sanand (Singur's loss, Sanand's gain), Viramgam (take the right turn which leads to the level crossing and then the bypass), Fulki, Dasada and finally Zainabad at 4.30 pm (623km)

Road to Zainabad


Track leading to camp gate


Desert Coursers gate



For those looking for Zainabad on a map it most probably does not exist.
Despite being set up by Zain Khan a century plus ago, it has been renamed to 'Jainabad' (whether by Mr Modi or not, I do not know)...

[genesis]

After a long day on the road, the Desert Coursers camp was a welcome relief.
As we had called ahead, tea, sandwiches and poha were ready. Refreshed and refilled we retired to our 'huts'

The huts were actually traditional mud constructions called Kooba's, but with an AC and an attached tiled bathroom. Simple, functional and clean. They are under shade trees and arranged around a clearing with a common dining and sitting area.

Koobas arranged around a clearing


Door to hut


Sitting Area


Wall decorations


Live decorations


We had a hot shower and a 'power' nap...

[sudev]

The hut came with its own pet squirrel as well? ;-)

[muralisk]

Awesome stuff and excellent narration. This is more like a story telling and supported by great visuals. Am hooked on to this one. Keep it rolling pal.

[fazalaliadil]

Well documented local charm with complimenting photography and narrations, keep it up.
Regards,

[pjay_in]

Beautiful, expressive snaps. Loved those birds flying in a straight file.

[advaitlele]

Superb destination, Superb photos, Superb write-up.

I liked that photo "Road to Zainabad" and the birds on top corner of the photo. Amazing.

Keep it coming.

[sen2009]

Gurudev...

Your "kutch kutch hota hai" story has become "Klutch Klutch hota hai".
Please release the clutch and step on the accelarator.

We're waiting for more!

And great photography there.