Swim for Life

Having suffered a Lumbar Slip Disc as what my doctors say and a "No No " to biking, i gave it a thought on what my passion is all about.
Well the doctors didnt say that i had to stop "Biking" ,,but to make the backbone strong - the Vertebral column needs to improve,,,i had to Swim which would help to tone up the body and make my bones strong.

Trials :
I had been swimming in Delhi for a while but at the initials - i barely could make it to one round-50m . Being a beginner - doing the breath of the Pool was a daunting task. I started to swim on weekends in the "NGV" pool in Koramangala,,but soon found out that the Chlorine level was too high and most of times - the water was murky. After 2 months, i found that i had improved on my speed and the size of the NGV Pool was too small.
After 3 years in Bangalore - i came to know that the State had one of the best swimming pools,,one being in "Jayanagar". Infact - Karnataka is the only state to have 5 pools in a city.

The Start.
I think the Jaynagar swimming brought good luck to my health. When i started swimming,,i didnt have an idea what different styles u had at swimming. Within 2 days - i got my hands on the Freestyle..As time passed by,,i managed to do breath of the Pool. The Pool is very clean - crystal clear water, chloring is checked at every hour and you have Life guards to check you,,and above all - you pay a mere Rs.16 for an hour.
In a months time - i could say to myself,,yes - i was practising for that alloted 45mnts. i had.
And above all - improving on my health and back.
Benoy - a lifeguard and Coach found me a regular member to the pool not missing the 1:30 batch.
Thanks to him - who had given me few tips to improvise on the style n action on Freestyle strokes.I improved on the way i was swimming and now i came to know that i could do the entire 50 mts in 1 stretch.

Practise:
2 months ago - Benoy approached me with a Brochure of the "Karnataka Swimming Association" South Zone Masters Champioship 2008. Well,,that was it,,i had to take part in this big mega event which i never thought of,,,
I did practise - 45mnts. everyday doing the length of the Pool. In all - making 20 rounds - 1000mts. per day without smoking n drinking on the weekends. I had to store all my energy for the big event counting on the calories i eat,,,juices,,,light meal and dates.
It was a tuff time when i found my frnd pardying on the weekends and me - being left out.

The Big Day
22nd March - Holi .
When one things of Holi - its Bhang. I had to avoid it ofcourse and no drinks.

It was not a moment seeing all my freinds playing with Colors.

200 Mts Freestyle : Eight Swimmers and 3 medals to be won. It was a close competition. What made things worse was the 25 Mt. Pool in Basvangudi. In Jayanagar - its a 50 mt. So doing a 200 mt. means - taking 4 laps but here - it was 8 laps. I was not used to flipping over for the next lap and was conscious. Instead you had to put in more energy in the beginning of the lap to get more pace.I had no option but to overcome the task,,,,,
I lost a few seconds on the lap changing and thats what made diff. on my timings. i missed it by a whisker .5 secs for the Gold.
The competition was tuff and i could see my coach yeling at me when i had to go for the next lap.

Medal : Silver
Timing : 4 mint. 14:08 secs.

100 Mts Freestyle : I had good competetion in this event. Benoy - my coach from Jayanagar, his freind - Shaji was taking part in this event. Shaji is member of the Kerala Team and i knew he would win. Exhausted in the 200 mt. event, i thought i would not make it on this event. I did not loose hope and gave it my best shot.Just keep on swimming and maintain a regular pace. I did a good dive which did give me a good pace. As i touch the finishing line, i found that i had come second.

Medal : Bronze

Timing : 1 mint. 43:86 secs.

4*100 Mts Medley

It was the last event and every one was waiting for this moment. We had teams from Kerala, AP and 4 teams from Karnataka. I was not hoping that our team would win,,,,i am not good at short distance - 50 mts. and back stroke was not my option on the medley. i preferred freestyle. was the last to do the freestyle on medley,,,my focus was on my colleagues finishing line so that i could go next,,and me going at the end,,was much more difficult since the event depends on the last person. We managed to come 3rd and was happy with the score.

Medal : Bronze

Timing : 3 mint. 06:66 secs.

You feel proud at the end when you have 3 medals and someone honoring you. Now - a member of the Karnataka Swimming Association, i do enjoy benefits and who knows,,where will i go,,,its an event where you come to know - your talent and you meet the best.
I owe my credit to Benoy - Coach for teaching n having patience. I will miss him as he has got a new Coach Job in Dubai.

link : http://picasaweb.google.com/kkrajiv/Swimming

6A RTMC Anniversary - Coorg Riding

6A Anniversary-RTMC Coorg
Sunday, October 7, 2007

6A RTMC Anniversary - Before i start - all readers must know what is this

Its our Clubs 6th Anniversary where all Bikers come together n have fun. Also with us always are the Mad Bulls - from Chennai. When they celebrate - the RTMC joins.
RTMC - Rolling Thunder Motorcycling Club.

6A - Its one of the most awaited events we look for - loads of fun and meeting old bikers.

N riding to a new destination. This time - the venue looked pretty cool - coorg,,,,poor Chennai guys had to ride some 600 kms in a day - some did it one day,,wow.
I had already booked my dates and taken a 1 day leave,,,having Gandhi Jayanti in mid-it was a 4 day break from maddening crowd.

Riders - Rajiv aka Jispa, Lokesh - 2nd ride, Bhupinder -Jaali and Ronan ( Oracle)

Day 1 ( Blr. to Venue:Madikeri)
I couldnt sleep the entire night cause i was so excited to drive with the Machos and hearing the bud bud sound.
Woke up early - and gave all riders missed call for the ride. As always, Lokesh was dead asleep and i called some 20 calls to wake him up. Had i not jumped the entrance gate, Loks. would not have made it to the 6A. He was gasped for a moment and clue less as to how i managed to reach his room. Anyways, we were zooming off to Town Hall and Chetan accopanied us all way.
By Joe, it was worth a visit to Town Hall - the Bikers were ready to zoom off and create havoc on the highway,,Mad Bulls were also with us,,the total count of the Bikes were approx.85
Ronan, me and Bhupi were cruising at 90 and i did not have any clue were Loks. was....I couldnt keep up with the pace of mad bulls,,,thats why there are called Mad Bulls,,they drive at very good speed and you need ur engine/riding exp. to be tuned to keep up with them.
We stopped for Breakfast at Kamat - buffet was real cool - at Rs.60/ you could grab every piece of south delicacy you want..it wasnt a brkfast for me - rather a brunch.
Without wasting time - we headed for Madikeri - guzzling on the highway is an exp. I could notice all four wheelers gaping to see the Bulls at high speed with the thud. echoing.
I found Nits. n gang as they were off to Masinagudi for the weekend. Stopped for Chai and headed off.
We regrouped at Srirangapatna for all riders to come by since there was a deviation here. Thanx to Butter for the guidance.
The last time i came to Madikeri - the roads were been done.Now, i saw the difference. Right from the turn to Madikeri - the roads were in shape. Few hamlets to be spotted enroute and a faboulous tarred to ride on.
From Chettahalli to Capitol Village - it was a mee Ghat section - i really had a ride. belting my engines out on the roads,,it was a smoothie ride meandering the ghats midst the wild beauty of Madikeri.
We were now at the venue - Capitol Village - Madikeri at 1:25 PM.
Bikers all lined up for the Big Bash - bikes from Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, J&K,Tamil Nadu and AP.
Its amazing to see ven you have riders like Mamidi coming all the way fro HYD. and the Mad Bullls coming all the way from Chennai.
Pork during was lunch was cool and we checked in a Crystal Court - its 5 kms from the Venue,,dozed off a bit after lunch for the big bash.

6A Pardy

Arrived to the venue by 6. Huge gathering and could see loads of mineral water around. it wasnt water but booze ,,,even we had our signature - ready to rock. The venue was real cool this time. loads of greenery around wtih a pond neary by. We settled for the 1st round,,thanks to biscuit - i managed to get a peg of scotch,,the session started with loads of thankx to the organizers and to Subhash Chandra Bose - the legend who had come. There was a psoter for bid -which got sold to SCB at 10 K. And the customery helmet to Bra. ( lucky him) It started to drizzle wee bit but the crowd got berserk on the tunes,,in a moments - all of us were on the dance floor - pardying hard.
By 1ish - we were ready to head back - now the drive to our home was 5 kms - a few ghats in the dark, and to RTMC rules - drink n driving is a no.no.no. Lokesh was tully,,but he convinced me to ride to hotel. Anyways, we all reached safe - thanks to company of Scorpio. a few chit chat with RKMC guys, Biscuit, Sushesh and Doc. Plans were futher after the pardy to ride to Kasargod,Mangalore and back to base. Crashed by 2.
Day 2 ( Abbey Falls, Detour Countryside, Kakkabe-Coffe Country Resort )
Wow, what a night we had. i woke up with a perfect morning, mystic clouds, Coffee shrubs and mountains. Yes - i was in the "Scotland of India" . Amidst such a landscape - you wouldnt want to leave back,,spend some more time to get the fresh breeze.
Packed our bags and headed for Capital Village. Most of the Chennai gang left on Sunday for monday work and the rest who managed to get leave - headed for Kasargod. We were ready to take a Detour of Country side. Met the RTMC gang during lunch and a photo shoot to follow. Ooops, i missed the chota ride we had to "Abbey Falls" , Coorg has loads to see - get your vehicle or you will be handicapped. Falls were amazing - nice to have sushesh, Tiger, Hiren n Biscuit around.
After lunch, adieu to the gang n Ronan and ready to rock,,,,our journey further. Having Bhupi and Lokesh around - 1st time in Coorg - i was not sure where i was heading,either to Kutta or Kakkabe. But no bookings or any references,,,just ride on. some help from the hotel guy, we took the route - capital village-siddapur-virajpet to Kakka Be.
The 90 kms.detour was a bliss. You have to be there to beleive this,,in the ghats - the bike guzzled its way out on the Coffee Plantations,,,ven you talk of Coffee- its Coorg. It seemed that "Nature was at its best" ,,,my bike, clouds,Coffee, roads and a perfect weather. There was one moment - Siddapur to Virajpet - an 18km stretch,,,its rocking. I was zooming to madness, Bhupi. dancing on his bike and Lokesh busy enjoying the wild.
Wow - it was worth coming here. Also, i was anxious to visit the 2nd time - Coffee Country. We managed to get bookings - thanks courtesy - Sujoy.
We checked in the resort by 5ish amidst drizzle. Few cups of tea,,we were at an altitude where you could see the "Western Ghats" at its best.
The 3some travellers then went for a stoll to further up with Chandra.
We settled in the night with a few shots of Vodka and amazing food. Thanks to Chandra who managed to get Pork - as i had taken a vow only to belt on,,,i mean - if you are in this - try the best delicacy.

Day3 ( Trek to Thadayendamol, Madikeri, Kushalnagar)

We found a new company - Rohit from Madbulls. He was alone travelling after the 6A and looking out to venture. He joined us and planned to stay till Kushalnagar. After a heavy breakfast, it was time for trekking to "Thadayendamol" . This is one of the highest points in Krntaka. / Kerala --amazing trek - it requires atleast 4 hours. had to take our bikes to a certain distance where we would start our trek. I thought that Coffee Country is where the place to be - but i was trekking - again - Coorg has so much to offer. Lush green landscape and in the wild. not a single soul to be around --only Bhupi. and his funny jokes and his solo pics. the higher we climed - we felt we were in a blanket of mist. Visibility poor and us - catching for breath. Yes - its not the bulleet engine that we depend on but our engine - our strength to take to heights. It reminded me of the young days - ven i trekked in Leh. In 2 solid hours - we reached "Thadayendamol" the highest point and now in "Gods Own Country " . Yes - Bhupi said - now i am in Kerala.
This is the point where you could make calls and inform everyone at home. Loks. managed to get one more day leave. Photo shoot and some time in the wild,,we headed back. Downhill was a daunting task and Bhups.came up with the idea of bathing in the wild. We spotted a stream nearby - Bups. Loks. and Rohit were in the stream. i wasnt due to my back ache and i fear having Leaches sucking my blood out. a few eews and aaahsss, they were out f the water - bathing in freeze cold water can catch ur lungs,,,,
Settling the bills,,tea - we zoomed off to Madikeri. Rohit took us from a diff. route...a shorter one that we had taken - 90 kms to 21,,,,jaaali and loks. were looking at me for a while. We were now - heading to Kushal nagar - the tibetan refugee camp. got some ghats downhill and belted the engines out for some smooth roads.
The total distance was 60 kms. we reached Sera Jey Monastery by 6 PM. Checked in choeling center at dirt cheap price - i wouldnt think of getting a double room of Rs.250 per day. Got some time to see the prayers and few learning from the Monks.
It was dark now -so we headed for the guest house.
Morning - Rohit had left since he had a long way back to Chennai.

Day 4 - Bylakuppe - Bangalore

Rohit left in the wee hours after a short visit to the Monastery. We followed suit and visited the main Monastery,,its amazing to see so many Monks in India - its one the largest settlements / refugge camps after Dhramshala. It was a small Tibet.I was more interested seeing the paintings and the gold statue of "The Buddha" . Loks and Bhups. did heavy shopping. I managed to get momos and thuppa. Its Yum. We were ready to leave for Bangalore since we wanted to hit base before dark.
Enroute - some autos came by and in disguise - we founda girl screaming - aage police hain. i wondered what was that for. Thanks to ghe girl,,,yes - we had the RTO waiting to empty our pockets. 3 travellers - Karnataka, delhi and J&K number plates. I still havnt paid road tax --so i was bound to get heavy duty,,,we escaped those rascals and took a local longer trip to the highway. All scared - we enquired at regular intervals for cops.but none in vain. We were on the highway back home. We reached B.lore by 7ish.
Rajiv's Comments.
I would like to thank Bhupi.Ronan and Lokesh on this ride. Bhups.- you rock and having you around - i could get do the wackiest things on bike that i would never dreamt. Driving in shots and barefoot in Coorg was crazy.

Loks. - had i not jumped the gate,,i would not have you here,,this ride will be memorable.
Ronan - bhai ,,we will ride further.

Travellers Comments : I would call a perfect getaway to Coorg.My view of the "Western Ghats" has lelt me baffled and i would long to travel more inspite of extensive trekking in Sakleshpur, Chickmaglur and 2 times visit to Coorg.

Statistics.
Total distance covered : apprx. 850 kms.
Visits : Mysore.Madiker.Siddapur.Virajpet.Kakkabe, Abbey Falls & Kushal Nagar.

Contacts
Coffee Country : 0827 2238635,2238330
Palace Road, Kakka-Be.Kodagu
Sera Jey Monastic University Guest House. Bylakuppe.
08223-258723
Bon Voyage.

Rajiv (Jispa)

kkrajiv@hotmail.com

kkrajiv@gmail.com

Yelagiri Ride

Yelagiri Ride

The announce list wasn’t much this time in RTMC since most of them were busy on the anniversary ride to coorg.

Ride : we were to assemble at Shell Petrol bunk at 7:00 am sharp, but due to some pick ups –we reached at 7:30
Due to the incessant rain and Saturdays downpour, we thought that Sunday would be hell
Riding in the rains, but it wasn’t. We didn’t get any showers enroute but rather a gloomy dull weather con gusty winds interrupting our speed on return.

Our first stop was at the Customary Joint near the HP petrol bunk just after Hosur – near Leyland factory. After breakfast and some chit chat n Shakti’s Leh ride, Hiren had joined us to ride on.
The ride was pretty smooth since we did not face any mech. Issues. Most of us were in a group riding only Cup - who was still running his engine. We met Sampath at the Toll Free - who happened to be one of us Muthu's freind, and was with his wife riding to Yelagiri. Sampath joined us,, By 10ish,,we were at outskirts on Yelagiri. Arun made a few calls for the Mad Bulls guys to meet up,,,all turned up at the meeting point. We soon headed for the uphill to Yelagiri. 25 monsters driving uphill was cool with the "bud bud" at the backdrop. Some of zooming off but i still recall some RTMC who rammed into a brand new sumo,,so i was pretty slow at the bends,,"be gentle on my curves" - one of the famous signboards on the Leh route.

We headed straight for the resort for parking and to meet rest of the Mad Bulls. Started off with the Customary Intro round,,Bala-Mad Bulls joined us on his legend Trip and the "Altitude Overdose" stories. Most of the riders were newbees and heard about the "Wet Ride' they did to Kerala,,i liked the concept of riding in the rain,,,we should have one in RTMC,,,the intro round got boring after some time ,,it was killing,,and wanted to head straight for Biryanis.

Vaniyambadi : after the boring intro. rounds, we headed straight for Khaja's . We were zooming off for belting session. As always,,when we reached,,you could have the onlookers just stare at you as if were from Mars,,Its Khajas' day to earn big bucks..One thing i liked about the restaurant - the service,,yum,,,mutton biryani and bheja fry,,while i write this in the wee hours on tuesday,,i wish,,i wish,,to have some more. Ven its eating time,,no one talks,,the focus is on the food. Shakti ,me and Bhupi were on the 2nd serving,,,now i realize,,someone on return dozed off and hit the barriers,,,i wonder you get a similar taste in apna B.lore. Time for us to leave and mind you not to b.lore but for shopping. Mad Bulls-David escorted us to Ambur - for leather stuff. Prices were cheap but you had to be lucky to find your size and the right pair. You get the best brands - geoxx,timberland and Olivers,,but you gotta be lucky. By the time we realized,,it was almost 4:30,,,,bid adieu to Mad Bulls and headed back.

Return : A challenging task if you dont have ur lights. Mid way - my electricals sanpped off,,so i was riding in the dark,,thanks to Arun and Bhupi who were escorting me,,your eyes go for a toss when we dont have lights. Hiren too faced the same problem,,,we reached B.lore at good speed,,thanks to no traffic on return. In all,,it was a good ride.

Riders : Jispa,Shakti(Biscuit),Hiren,Arun(Dead Dog),Cup, Bhupinder & Susheel

Pillion : Shalini,Soma,Ram & Juhi.

"Caman the Enjaiment"

Bikers Club - Day Ride to Savandurga

"The Legend Rocks"

"When you drive the legend, it gives a feeling that you are driving a Bike.

"Make way for the "Bullet"

How it started: The Idea came up in the Parking lot at Basement -2 , where diff. brands of Bikes were parked. Amongst all, were the "Monsters" owned by some Gficians. It seemed that some had the passion of riding "The Bullet" where we came up with an "Intro" meeting. After 2 consecutive meetings, we came up with the idea of having a 1 day ride to Savandurga.

Preparations : Since most of us were new, only 2 were veterans - Rajiv and Bhupinder who donned numbers plates of Delhi and J&K - there "Odometer" reading was more than 40,000 kms. They had covered the inhospitable terrains of "Ladakh" and some of the known highways in India - Delhi,Jaipur, Chandigarh - Kolkata, Chennai and Pondicherry.

Based on the experiences, the 2nd meeting was much focussed on the prepartions and tuning of the Bikes.

Day Ride : Most of the Bikers assembled at Oracle GFIC by 7 am and ready to ride to Savandurga. We had a planned route and break points at regular intervals just to check everyone was at the same pace. Riding from Oracle GFIC to the Mysore Highway was quite interesting when you beat the early morning traffic. Soon, you realise that the Mysore Highway is ready to take you for the ride. The Monsters were ready to action and rock the roads.

After a one hour ride, all bikers stopped for Breakfast and Kadu Mane. It was good intro round at the Breakfast table to know people working at different depts. n diff.shifts .

Soon we headed off to Savandurga taking a deviation from the Highway.

Savandaurga : The total distance from Blr.to Savandurga is approx. 75 kms and we reached early. The drive was amazing since there was a particular stretch where some buzzed off at 100.
We were close to the remains, infact in the region where "Sholay' was shot. Gigantic Rocks, loads of Shrubs and deserted landscape. You really seemed to be chasing Gabbar - said one of my freinds said ,,but not on the horse but on a "Bull". Thanks to Blr. Tourism as roads were well tarred to zoom off,,

We soon hit the entrance of Savandurga, where we had the Photo Shoot for the club. Our Local guide escorted further to the temple and the most daring task we had to do for the day - Trekking to the Hill Top.

Hill Top : When one thinks of the Office elevators - you dont dare to use the stair case, when one thinks of travelling, you dont dare take the local bus, but we were here, where we had dare to Trek for 3 hours.

Some had given hope not more to climb than an hour. But it was fun trekking and hearing about the Bikers in diff. processes. and whose-who at work.

When we reached the Top, a spectacular view. A view that was memorable and worth an hours trek.

Some settled to relax at the Top while Vivek was busy taking shots on his new SLR.

Manish, Rajiv, Bhupinder and Shivananda headed further for a more wide view at the temple top - another hour of Trekking. The wind seemed to kill our energy while trekking as we gasped at regular intervals. We had to crawl over some boulders and slipped down a wee bit as the route was dangerous.

The sight was amazing, got to see the Nandi Bull at Temple Top. From the Hillock, you could see the vast arid land with shrubs covered all over the place.

Our decent was very fast and we met our gang, we soon headed to the base. Going downhill was very painful as the knew were hurting.

It was lunch time and we asked our local guide to escort to a local place. Food was yum at the local Bus Stop - Rice with Sambhar.

We soon zoomed off back home before it could get dark. On the way - we saw the Big Banyan Tree.

Riders :
Rajiv Kumar (CSD)- Blue Electra
Bhupinder ( TP) - Silver Machismo
Ronen (AP) - Red Electra
Shivananda (HR) - Black Electra
Abrar ( OA) - Red Thunderbird
Saurabh ( LAD Consulting) - Silver Machismo

Pillion :

Jared ( OA)
Manish ( TP)
Vivek ( NA Consulting)

Bangalore Midnight Marathon

Bangalore Midnight Marathon :



This was quite a wacky idea to have a Marathon run in the night. Of course - Bangalore never sleeps n so as the Office goers. So they organized this event far from the madding crowd, in the core Software Park in Whitefield with good security and free ways to run.



3 Events :

IT run for 6.5 kms

21 km run at midnite

41 km run for all - i mean professionals.



Since i was doing jimming for all this while and burning calories on the tread mill,,i thought of runningthis one. Eventually - i had practised in the Police ground for the 21 km-- but was crazy to do this one.

You need guts, stamina and whole loads of preparation to do it. N you just cant do it on ur time,,you had to follow a time of theirs and will be awarded a cert.



So,, i decided to run the IT run - 6 kms. It doesnt seem to be much,,but much before the event - newspapers had given some articles,,foody ,,calorie -- all that gyan for the event.



Event : i was strict diet at least for 2 days so that i could pep up myself for the event. At the venue - was lucky to spot Mr.Butter aka - Bhatt saab with his cam. He was for the 21 km run.

I guess - some 1500 people ran the IT run. Before the flag off - some neta had come to inaugarate - thank god he was not in the marathon.

I was quite surprised the way they had organized it. Food stalls, free Water, Calore Biscuits and Paramedics.



The initial 3 kms was ok and had to dodge amongst aunties and uncles to get way by,,, loads of security to avoid any interruption. I could get the pain coming on my muscles after the 3rd km,,,had loads of people around me and the "Dholki Walas" to cheer the runners. At that moment - it reminded me - man this is challenging. Running a 6km or 21 km is not a joke. i felt my lungs coming out and stomach hurting bad. Water service is every where - but i did not take any -fearing of cramps. I squeezed another 2 kms more and the last lap was moment to remember,,,,every step reminded me - how much more to go,,,, i was in a pool of sweat,,,at far i could see the finish line and in few minutes - i felt like an accomplishment.



Timings : Finished the run in 35 mnts. with 3 stops on walk mode to get hold of my breath.

No water.



There is one more event coming in sept. Hope fully the big one - lets see if i make it this time.

RJS' Travels - rajiv, JJ and Sanjeev Travels to Malabar Coast - Calicut, Mahe & Vedcara.
Total Distance Covered : 1110
Duration : 3 Days - during Ugadi festival
Mode of Transport : Bus, Uncles' Car ,Taxi and Auto.
Places : Bangalore, Mysore, Nanjagud, Sulthan bathery, kalpetta, Calicut, Vadcara, Kadalundi & Mahe.
Date : 17, 18 and 19 th March 2007.

Planning : I was planning to do the "Malabar trip " long time back ven i did the New Year Trip to Jungle Tree House on the Tree tops. There is this beautiful drive after Phookote lake - a down hill and entering to the Calicut. I planned to do it on Bike but then changed plans since JJ and Tanti had also plans to visit the same place. So we all planned for Calicut since we wanted to see Kerala and not go further down ,,,

Day 1 : Travel, Langur, local stuff and Malabar Cuisine.
We took the KSRTC bus from Majestic to Calicut which was a 9 hour drive. I really thought - how would i manage to be seated on 1 seat for such a long time - but beleive me - once you cross Mysore - u really get the fresh air and the greenery after kalpetta is amazing. The lunch in Kalpetta was OK - with some hot water given - JJ and Tants were quite seeing this - "itni dhoop main garam paani" . Parotas with Fish,,,- that was yum n dirt cheap. We crossed the ghats - which was quite steep so the driver was slow on the curves - its says " be gentle on my curves"
Black Langur : before we could cross the check post after ghats - we had to scrrech for a halt since someone compalined that we crossed the langur. That was the 1st time i saw a Black langur. anyways - i could see the blood spots on the tyres and we could ignore running over the langur - so it was the usual check up done,,,,our time was short and we had informed Uncle - Kailsash' father to pick us up,,,,we took the local bus from Check Post to Calicut.
Drivers : i would imagine running by Bike on 55 km in 1 hour 10 minutes - on ghats and local roads,,,yes - it was the local bus we took. he was driving like a F1 driver and guzzling speed as if he had to catch Schumi. i had to hold the seat and had a sigh of releif once he touch base.
We met Uncle, snacks and checked in mankav. Amazing House.
Uncle took us around to - Kallai Timbers, bridge, KozhiKode beach and the best - yummmm- malabar food - paragon serves one of the best foods - so we hogged on Crabs, squids and prawns. The hotel is quite famous since the only branch it has is in Dubai.
We bought Dhotis - so that we could have the essence of "Kerala"

Day2 - Taxi, Vadagara, Mahe & Kalaripayyat.
We hired a Taxi since we figured out the Distance was more and the heat could get us on travelling. It was very hot though but we did not want to take any chances. By Taxi - we visited Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, Beypore Port ( i met some Biharis Bhais were we had a photo shoot and chai on the Palm Oil tankers) , Peruvannamuzhi Dam.
As per research - we had to see the Kalaripapayat - as this is what Kerala is described for, so we reached one of the villages where the Birth of "kalari" originated. puduppanam is where we met the guru who was giving gyan to the fighters ,,,by joe - when i shook his hand - i really yelled for help. Its a form of martial art combined with self defence and Jujitsu. Madhu Sir was a very gentle man and he expalined the history and students who came here,,,,BBC, Santhosh Sivan,,
the Lokanarkavu temple was a sight to see - thousand of dias in the temple - you had to wear a Dhoti to get inside to visit the goddess - the goddess of kalari. We also saw a small pond quite deep - and rajesh explained - Kalari's used to practice summer saults in water to get the real taste of Fighting.
Mahe: Its part of Pondicherry Territory, i dont know how JJ and Tanti got the idea - but they wanted to visit Mahe - ab jab kuch idhar to pura dekh kar jayo,,,,,we convinced Anil - our driver to take us to Mahe n get drunk tooo much. So in an hours time - from Vadagara to Mahe - its a sight to see. mahe is full of Boose shops,,not many in Calicut. So many people come from Calicut and spend 61 kms to come here n booze ,,,poor locals - you cant carry liquor back home - you have a check post waiting for you,,,small wee of drinkng and we headed bakc home. So in all - it was hell travelling to all places , got to see " gods own country" and the taste of Malabar.

Day3 : Rest, shopping, Kappad Beach and Bangalore.
We woke up late , JJ and Tanti were up wake on some gyan which i could get hold off. Uncle wondered the next day - why the flush was on most of the time - it was the disposal of Cigs. that JJ wanted to get rid off,,JJ knows this better,,,,,me and tants got the tickets booked back to bang. Kappad beach was quite a distance to cover - this is where - De Gama had come and Tanti had full justice to see this place. yeah - i guess he would have like it - since the beach looks fabulous with white sand, coco trees and boats. It was an artist impression or a pic to have put in the mind,,,,it was nature at its best,,,,
JJ had some massage done at the Kappad beach resort while me and Tanti were on the rocks for the photo shoot and crab catching.
We had to rush home , change and head to the bus stand since we hadnt much time to touch base. It was the same route we took and were in bang by 3 midnite.

Summary : I owe this trip to Uncle for his hospitality in Calicut, JJ and Tanti for their humour and good buddies, Ugadi Utsav and Kerala. On a minimum budget - we explore to our best what anyone would have done to see " Kerala" . You have to be there and get the experience in the "Gods Own Country "