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Really! Over so soon!?! Cant believe it....:eek:


Anyway, here goes (starts) the return trip ...

The refurbished Platform No.: 4 at Kozhikode Railway Station. We were on time, but the train was slightly delayed...
(MX6, Calicut was called "kallikottai" in Tamil - but there is no 'kottai' (fort) AFAIK. Any idea / inputs?)






No rains - only overcast sky. And, places like these are choc-a-bloc in Kerala. See the second picture? The white space in between the coconut trees is the sea!! Don't you envy the guy who has built his house there?






And, this had me salivating... any guesses why? f1fan - try your luck? (BTW, don't be in a hurry about kaas - the plans are still in the nascent stage, and the countdown is yet to begin. The trip will definitely be made - and my offer to you stands)

Somethings haven't changed - thank God!



Somethings, however, have.
In earlier days, come rain or shine everyone will be carrying an umbrella.
Today it appears to be replaced by mobile.
Almost all the male population would be dressed in a 'white mundhu (dhoti) and a white shirt'. Some preferred the 'lungi' over the mundu.
Today?
If this is how Kanhangad (a relatively small town) looks, you can imagine how other places will be...



And a taste of things ahead - this river was near Thalasserry (Tellicherry) - forgot its name.
The rains had let off - however the impact of the heavy rain over the week, had turned all the rivers red!

The river - just before Bekal - and the sea....

A magnificent sight - running train, p&s camera, cloudy weather make the photos a pale image of nature's creation.

The river is awash in red - all the rains have eroded the soil of the land / hills inland, and the river sweeps it into the sea. In the third picture, the sea seems red - am myself surprised how this could be!

I did not get it. Where did the vehicle go?
I thought you were on road to and for?

Any way nothing like a train. "Sit back and enjoy"

Prabhu mam: Is this "Patrade paan"?. Sorry folks, I dont know any other name for the same. I hope I passed the test :)

Thanks again for the offer.

Since I was returning to Pune, the car is left behind at Calicut - and am leaving today to drive down...


You did pass - with flying colours!!

Do you know that there is a great variation in the taste from the way they make it in our houses and the way it is made in Maharashtra? For us the base contains of ground thoor dal, red (dried) chillies and coconut... steamed leaves with a dash of coconut oil is heavenly - especially when had with 'dali thoi'.... I am sure any GSB reading this will be drooling by now:D

Anyway, the train does not face any problems by way of potholes, traffic jams etc. and we reach Mangalore by 12.30 - after crossing this....









The great Netravati river flowing into the sea (near Ullal, if I am not mistaken). The first and the second picture show the river is flowing - yet, in the third and final pictures, you can see the reflection of the landscape as if the water is still!!

And, I think, the furnace tower / chimney on the right is that of a tile factory. Am I right?

Your description ignited my tastebuds. it has been long time since i had patrade cooked by my mother. just now called her and asked her to prepare for Patrade for one of the meals during this week-end when i am home for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ohoho,
earlier, i thought that Patrade paan in kannada means PAAN we get at paan tapri!!!!stupid:

''Ganpati bappa ale ka, mazya lakshatach naahi".

Ganpati fest and modak, ahhaha!!!

Yup, I relish Patrado in all its versions be it on the KA side or MH side :D.

I believe you already know that it is "Alu cha paan" used to make delicious Alu chi vadi. :)

Man, even though I had my lunch an hour ago, I am drooling all over again!!

StarV, hope you had a tummy full of 'patrade'....


Hope the feast didn't turn a 'babu' into a 'bappa'....:uncontrol

I guess I am going to repent my missing meeting you all at Kaas....


Got back to Pune after the 1300+km from Coimbatore to Pune by car over three days.... Long break from work means too many pending items on the table - so the details of the trip will take some time coming!

The concluding part of episode 2 was by Volvo bus from Mangalore to Pune. Since the luggage (with the camera) was put in hold, no pictures...

The trip to Calicut to bring back the car was done by train. Anyone knows that there is only one train a week from Pune to Calicut - via Belgaum and Goa? It's the Purna Express leaving Pune on Saturdays at 11.00PM. Any guesses on the name?

I opted a different train - Mumbai to Nagercoil via Krishnarajapuram & Erode.

I took a couple of pictures of Pune Station - as MX6 had commented it was dirty and stinking - so don't want to corrupt the purity of this thread:)

This is an example of the people mover - what can be its bhp? And, any ideas as to 'airbrake only'???? You can see the brake cylinder at the bottom of the picture. And see the windshield with its wiper?:eek:



On the day of boarding, it the train was packed. The next day when I woke up - after 11.00 AM - it was like this-

Hope they didn't make away with your luggage as well. The Mumbai/ Nagercoil express is an amazing train. I love it. Rather, I love any train that goes on the Solapur to Bangalore route. On the right season, one can find miles and miles of sunflower fields! And the train criss-crosses between AP/ Karnataka time and again. I'd taken some photos of the same long time back. Unable to find them now.

Yes - the sunflowers fields are an awesome sight, when they are in full bloom.

And, the train journey is wonderful. You pass through so many places - many desolate as these below... Especially, the Mumbai - Trivandrum weekly express transverses all the four southern states on its journey. You can see the change in scenery unfolding - a bountiful Maharashtra is followed by (partly) barren Andhra Pradesh, and fields of paddy and coconut in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu concluded by the lush green countryside of Kerala!

I am always reminded of the scene in Swades where a boy runs with a bucket selling water, whenever I see stations like the ones above.






Our contribution - the litter which we throw out of the window so thoughtlessly!! Previously, there used to be a waste bin at either end of the compartment. It is missing nowadays. Cost cutting? Can Didi take note and restore this?

A people mover of a different kind - it was a huge turbo prop, and looked like he wanted to take a look at the lie of the land when he broke through the clouds.....



This is a real mover - of a different kind. Probably more important than moving people - but who cares? Is the freight corridor really functional? Looking at the number of places where passenger trains are given preference, I don't think so. And what must be capacity of the engine pulling this along??




Even though it runs on super smooth steel rails, it requires massive suspension springs....

Very nice VRP! The train is definitely superb for the Konkans!

I guess its just you and me today! Every one else is in Kaas!