[Archish]

This is a Travelogue about a trip I undertook just before deepavali (diwali) in November 2010. There are not much pictures to support this travelogue, only a few. Not a regular Travelogue just some travel details and funny conversation between two friends and some conversation with ex of friends.

First little background about the trip that I was about to undertake. About 6 months ago my friend Rajesh, who works as production manager in Manipal Printing Press wanted to get his car from Chennai to Manipal. It was a 2004 model 1.3 Flair Ikon with a Rocam engine. I was just married then and wanted a break from work, so offered to get his car from Chennai to Manipal. It was a relaxed trip spanning across 3 days along with my wife. We went from Chennai to Bengaluru and stayed at my sisters place for a day. My friend Rajesh then came in from Manipal to Bengaluru and we trio took another full day to reach Manipal from Bengaluru, visiting Sravanabelagola, Subramanya and Dharmasthala on the way. Me and my wifey returned to Chennai via train from Mangalore.

Below are some pics taken during our first visit to Manipal. We had also visited Murudeshwar.

[Archish]

Now, Rajesh wanted to get his car from Manipal to Chennai as he was not able to use it much there and his parents needed the car. It was just before deepavali and he too wanted to come to chennai for the festival. He calls me and we fix up a program in no time, tickets are booked and office leaves are taken care of. Deepavali is on 5th of November, he cant get off work before 3rd and I have be in Chennai on 4th as the company I am involved is launching a new magazine on deepavali eve. There is only a small window of 1 days which both of us are free, and it was decided that we would make a single day dash from Manipal to Chennai without any long breaks. So no relaxed trip this time, convince my wifey that it would too tiring for her and get permission for a bachelor trip. I start from Chennai on 1st afternoon and reach Mangalore on 2nd early morning, my friend picks me up and we reach his apartments in Manipal before 8am. He gets ready for office promising he would come back in about 2 hours and give a look around of Manipal Printing Press. Now, I some rest and get ready and he is back as promised, and we go in for a late breakfast at Deeksha, a small canteen like hotel just opposite to his work place, its a nice place and our fav. hangout place, eat all you want & still one does not get a bill over Rs.100. They serve homemade Indian Buns (dont know if this is a traditional manipal item) pulav, idlis, vadas along with the best tea I have had in South India.

After office work is over we decide that we should have a early dinnner and hit the bed as early as 9 so that we can wake at 3am the next day to start at 4am. Evening, we stock up some tit bits to eat on the way and 3 or 4 cans for Red Bull and also buy couple of cool sun glasses for ourselves. Early dinner is taken care of at Hangyo C.T.F. and we hit the bed at about 9.30pm but then sleep just does not take over. We keep talking and talking as true friends do, and we kept alarm for every half hour to sleep! but we dint, atlast our eyes were tired at only 2 am and we dozed off with a alarm to wake us up at 4am with a plan to start by 4.30am. I got up at 4 got ready by 4.20 and woke up my friend he got ready and i was just packing some stuff at the last minute when a heard a loud ‘aaaaummmmm’ from him... I was startled, he was apparently doing pooja, funny guy I would say. I asked him
‘Why mapi (similar to machan or machi), suddenly pooja and all??’
‘Long trip machi, we need gods support and dont think anything dirty’
‘why mapi... I dint think anything’
‘And no stopping here and there, we have lost time and we have make it up’
‘Sure Mapi, no pic stops, just download and upload stops’

Fine, everything is loaded on to the car and we start. Route planned was was Manipal --> Karala --> Kudremukh --> Kalasa --> Kottigehara --> Mudigere --> Belur --> Hassan --> C R Patna --> Kunigal --> Magadi --> Nice Road --> Hosur --> Krishnagiri --> Vellore --> Chennai. We started from his home and were about exit Manipal on the Karkala Road. Suddenly my friend goes ‘Machi Stop... turn machi turn...’
‘whah... why???’
‘Poorna (his ex. gf) Machi poorna’....

To be Contd...