[vrprabhu]

Yes - and hope everyone is having a great time out there....

My colleague (rather, subordinate) is getting relocated to Bombay - there is a send off organised today as our good wishes for her new assignment. So I couldn't make any 'bahana'...

Here is something which I saw for the first time - this is a fairly new addition, I think. Have you taken the route which takes you past this - it is one of the best built and nicely maintained roads....

[vrprabhu]

And, during this trip, I became the owner of a BMW!!

No, I am not joking - you'll get to the see it shortly...

The technology revolution is making its presence felt - even in the remote of the remotest places!!




While this meant continuous connectivity during the journey, it becomes a predominant feature of the landscape and soon turns into an eyesore....

And, the hill in the 2nd picture was fascinating - pictures follow.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

(MX6, Calicut was called "kallikottai" in Tamil - but there is no 'kottai' (fort) AFAIK. Any idea / inputs?)

Calicut got its name from Calico fabrics exported from this place for ages. It is not Kallikottai - but kalleekode. So no kottai or fort.

[vrprabhu]

That's a nice piece of info, mm!

I'm going to harass all the people at Calicut on my next visit - asking them how it got its name....

As regards the latest addition to my fleet, I can vouch for its authenticity - because it came from Germany - brought in by a relative who is working in a German reknowned for their pioneering work in automobile field.

Don't believe me?

Well, I hope this will convince you all.....




Well, maintaining it is not going to be easy

[MX6]

How did I miss that on Kallikottai? Well, there was supposed to be a kottai in Kozhikode ages back. Well, there are over 800 forts in UK. Many of them can easily be mistaken for a barn. So was there some fort like that in Calicut built by the portuguese or later by the brits?

And regarding the BMW, I think the buyer needs to hold on to the truck in which it is there on, if he intends to drive in Kerala roads
That's the safest way to ensure your car doesn't end up with a scratch.

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

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

Yes, ofcourse, my mother had prepared it for the lunch the day we reached there. but we missed the lunch and reached only by evening.
so first round was for the evening snacks and the second round was for the dinner.

I was having it probably after several years. relished every roll of it.

[maddy42]

VRP: Wow. Your travellogue is like cutting chai. You serve it to us in doses and each sip is really strong.

Freight corridor: What i found out during my short stint in this field was that railways have not begun work on the proposed corridor and looking at the way didi is working i expect this will go into history books like the interlinking of rivers.

Few drawbacks whof the railways to carry freight is that it takes alot of time to actually reach its destination, theft is rampant in the railways yard and usually the facilities to load and unload the goods are to be installed by the carrier and not railways.

Simple idea: Instead of announcing just new trains in each budget and ticket price cuts as a populist measure why doesnt the railways improve the old bridges which cannot be traversed at high speeds. Aim at increasing the time taken to an average of 70kms/hr. This would reduce the travel time from bangalore by about 10 hours.

Didi is sleeping and sorry for my rant.

Love the images as i so miss india now

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Calicut got its name from Calico fabrics exported from this place for ages.

Is there any connection this fabric has with 'Comtrust' (Commonwealth Trust?) - whose fabrics my father used to praise?

Originally Posted by MX6

And regarding the BMW, I think the buyer needs to hold on to the truck in which it is there on, if he intends to drive in Kerala roads
That's the safest way to ensure your car doesn't end up with a scratch.

Hmmm... that's right! Why didn't think of it myself? In fact, it would have been cheaper than BMW itself!!

But, just wait a little - I will upload the picture soon. Any guesses on the model?

BTW, think I am loosing my quiz skills - nobody has attempted to guess which German firm I am referring to. Considering I have posted this is auto-forum, sad!?!

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

so first round was for the evening snacks and the second round was for the dinner.

I was having it probably after several years. relished every roll of it.

My mother and my in-laws were quite surprised to note that we are discussing thing like these here!! And, obviously, I had more than one round of it too

Originally Posted by maddy42

VRP: Wow. Your travellogue is like cutting chai. You serve it to us in doses and each sip is really strong.

Love the images as i so miss india now

Thanks, maddy42. That is a 'down to earth' observation!!

Aren't you in India now? All the more reasons to keep visiting the travelogue section, then!! Good luck and enjoy - wherever you are!


And, speaking of unfinished projects and 'grand announcements', I have been seeing this - in the same state since the last couple of years.





Probably, it was meant to be a bye-pass? Which might later on could have been re-aligned?? The only people seen in the vicinity are these -

[MX6]

@Mallumowgli. Was reading extensively on calico/ calicut/ kallikottai/ kozhikode.

Now Calicut was what the Europeans called Kozhikode in 11th century AD.
Kallikottai is what the Tamils called the place as there's a legend of a fort surrounding a temple. Now where is that fort or it's ramparts is something that needs further research.
Calico is the name of the fabric that East India company imported from Calicut in 1631 - 1633. So what was the fabric called before that? British thought it was linen first when it was actually cotton.
So etymologically and chronologically speaking, it looks like the Brits coined the term calico fabrics after the fact that they were from calicut and not the other way round. Calicut came from Kozhikode 500 years before the brits came to trade for the fabric.
I'm trying to find manuscripts in Tamil/ Malayalam which speaks about the fabric and it's name before east-india company came in to the picture.
Marcopolo landed in Calicut in 1293 - 1294 and has referred to it as the kingdom of Melibar (malabar). He refers to the kingdom being rich in Pepper, cinnamon and turbit nuts (pigeon feed). Further he says that they also manufacture delicate and beautiful buckrams. Buckram was not stiff like present day calico. So earlier they were making finer cotton and not the stiffer ones. So the Stiffer one's has come later. Now what was the earlier Indian (mallu/ tamil/ malabari/ what ever) name for this cloth?
Incidentally Arabs used to call this port city as Kallikooth in earlier times.

@VRP. May be they did finish that following the grand announcement, but it crumbled on day one and no one bothered as they are keenly watching what will fall next in CWG

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by MX6

Marcopolo landed in Calicut in 1293 - 1294 and has referred to it as the kingdom of Melibar (malabar).

Incidentally Arabs used to call this port city as Kallikooth in earlier times.

Interesting tidbits - great reading!!

Ever visited the place where he landed? There is an old plaque laid there to commemorate the event.


Train journey has its own magic. When the train halted at previously un-heard of stations and places, I couldn't but help but wonder what kind of life people in this area must be leading...



And the railway tracks must have cut this once single piece of land into two - life goes on either side as usual.



The coconut trees appear stunted - but there were plenty of coconuts on them. Hybrid varieties, I guess. Man, animals and nature - at peace with themselves...

One particular item caught my attention - is it my imagination, or is it true? the parthenium weed is now growing at each and every open piece of land...

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

My mother and my in-laws were quite surprised to note that we are discussing thing like these here!!

Tell them that the kids will remain kids at heart (atleast till themselves becoming grand parents).

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

Tell them that the kids will remain kids at heart (atleast till themselves becoming grand parents).

Well said, SV and it is 100% true!!




More on the BMW....

This is to inform you that you have just been approve for a cash price of 860,000.00 GBP and a BMW X6 CONCEPT CAR, 2009 Model.
To claim contact BMW Agent : Clement Oxbeth
Email : mrclementoxbeth12@live.com
With Your Full Name:
full address:
Age:
Occupation: Country:
Age: Phone Number:

Think many of us would have received mails like these (pretty irritating, isn't it?). Do people really believe in them - and have anybody fallen for it?

From my description of BMW and the pictures I have posted, can you guess whether I fell for it or not?

[vrprabhu]

Coconut Oil and Copra and Coir are synonymous with 'Gods own country', right? But, when it comes to coconut trade is the TN/Karnataka border towns which contribute to the supply.

As evidenced by these - some where after Krishnarajapura....






And a lone palm tree dwarfing the tall coconut trees...




I am also told that the 'nendram pazham' (a special variety of banana) is grown more outside Kerala these days. Is it true?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

@vrp,

Nice set of train pics,
reminded my journey in feb 2010 by Netravati express from Chiplun to Trivendrum on the way to Kualalumpur.

[maddy42]

Mx6: Is the cotton you are talking about the "Parthi" which grows on trees? As i remember the trader who was my neighbour in coorg used to deal in it long back but now due to other crops being more profitable this is no more done.

@Vrp: Currently out of the country! Was lazy to edit my profile

By the way this is more of a Mega-Logue than a travellogue. Awesome