Basrur Travels Inc

Moving Home

2008-08-21T12:38:00.001+05:30

Instead of managing 2 blogs, I finally decided to set up my own home on the Internet and start blogging at a central location.

One click on www.basrur.net will get you to my new blogging destination

Cheerio

Paradise Biryani

2008-03-08T17:13:00.000+05:30

You possibly can't come to Hyderabad & not visit Paradise restaurant. with that plan decided we lazed through Saturday morning. Had some amazing "thalipeet" for breakfast and generally chatted for hours.

We headed out at 1 pm to Central for some shopping and never realised that we had spent over 2 hours & a couple of thousands over shopping, thanks to the annual sale. Hoping we would get to Paradise before they shut shop, we caught a rick & reached Paradise at about 3:45.

Paradise has quite a legacy. It used to be a small jount at the corner and well know for its menu right from chai, brun maska to the all famous biryani. I had come here sometime in 2003 and the place now is quite a world of a difference. What was a fairly big joint in 2003 is now a mamoth 5/6 storey building which hosts over 3 floors of dining and a couple of banquet halls.

We ordered a chicken starter, 2 portions of biryani, a veg dish & rotis. The biryani was really good and the portions were huge. I think the biryani portions is most food joints in Hyderabad are quite generous. We had to leave about 1/2 a portion since we could stuff ourselves no more. But dessert? Well thqt goes in even if you are full, eh? We had 3 yummy caramel custards between the 4 of us as a finale to the lovely lunch. We were already planning a long siesta even before we paid the bill.

A lovely Saturday indeed

Business Class

2008-03-07T23:30:00.000+05:30

After yesterdays tryst with Jet, I was hoping there wouldn't be any goof ups on our flight to Hyderabad. Snehal & me were heading for a 4 day break, of which I had to work for 2. I had managed to redeem my miles for Snehal. And to make it special for her, I had redeemed a business class ticket. I used an upgrade voucher to fly business class.

Everytime Snehal is thrilled, her face lights up and the sight of it makes me really happy. Its those special moments which linger around in your memory & remain fresh forever.

We thoroughly enjoyed the flight, not to forget the lovely food at the lounge before we boarded. Snehal had never been through this and I really wanted her to experience it atleast once.

Since Snehal's pregnancy bump is very visible now, she got even more special treatment from the Jet hostess. Snehal had a kebab platter & I opted for a prawn cocktail. The platter was really nice but the cocktail was a disaster. There was walnut pie for dessert which was quite rich & heavy. We managed to have only a few spoons. Snehal tried catching a few winks while I caught up one some magazine reading.

We landed about 45 mins behind schedule and were welcomed by some really warm weather. Aku was there to pick us up and we caught one of those new age cabs to get home. The cabs, ours was "cell cab" are normal cars which have a fancy tracking & billing system custom fitted. The send you a SMS as soon as you confirm a booking and show you the exact amount payable (higher than the usual rick fare) and hand you a receipt at the end of the journey. Very impressive.

We ended the day with a lot of chatting over some lovely home cooked dinner.

Record of sorts

2008-03-06T22:21:00.001+05:30

It was destined to be a day with a difference. I had to catch a 7:05 am flight to Nagpur. Here's the slow motion action replay

06:19 - I get a call from my colleague, who's already at the airport, to check where i've reached
06:20 - I realise I am still in bed and the flight takes off in 45 mins
06:22 - I've already put on a fresh set of clothes & run to put on my shoes
06:23 - I pick up my laptop bag and RUN
06:25 - I intercept a rick on the main road, promise him double fare if he gets me to the airport FAST
06:30 - My colleague says the Jet folks will close the boarding gate in 10 mins. Since I am a JP member they have kept the boarding pass ready in case I make it in 10 mins.
06:40 - I ask my colleague to hide inside the loo. Since he already has the boarding pass I reckon they will try & hunt him down.
06:50 - I reach the airport, pay the rick guy 200 bucks, thank him profusely and run to the Jet counter
06:51 - The lady at the counter spots me, checks my name & hands me the boarding pass and requests me to RUN. I thank her. Mention to her that she is a life saver
06:57 - I step inside the aircraft passing many a nasty faces looking at me & join my colleague who managed to get out of the loo a few mins before I reached the airport
07:10 - The flight takes off

So from the bed to inside the aircraft in 37 mins has to be a world record of sorts. Thank you Jet Airways.

I had to buy a toothbrush, razor & deo after I landed. I got to our company guest house and thanked my stars before taking a refreshing bath.

The "New" Delhi

2008-01-24T14:55:00.000+05:30

We landed in Delhi at 12:45 am yesterday. A full 2 hours behind schedule. Our flight from Baroda was delayed due the standard reason "late arrival of the aircraft". I mean how stupid does that reason sound? And its the same reason every airline dishes out for the delays.

Fortunately we were informed of the delay over SMS and we used up the time to catch up on some shop talk with colleagues over a few drinks. Baroda was also cold but we were warned that Delhi would be worse.

12:45 is not that bad a time to reach a metro, but it is horrible if you need to drive another hour to get to your destination, in our case, Faridabad. A colleague of mine took nearly 2 hours in the morning the previous day and I was praying we would take less. Fortunately there was no traffic and we zoomed into Faridabad and reached the hotel at 1:30 to be welcomed by our colleagues who were up & about with their 3rd round of drinks. I had a cup of tea and crashed into bed at 2:30.

I am getting to Delhi after nearly 2 years and the changes are amazing. The roads are really wide (which still results in traffic jams, I am told. Thankfully I saw those roads in the wee hours of the morning sans any traffic), the metro work is in full swing and from what I understand it will eventually be the lifeline of the city, there are still enough trees lining the roads and the winters are nice & cold.

Gurgaon on the other hand is still seeing so much construction & the infrastructure is inadequate. Public transport is woeful and the traffic sense is still absent. So you are damned if you are in your own vehicle and damned if you aren't.

I also happened to drive on the newly opened toll expressway from Gurgaon into Delhi. Its an awesome piece of engineering with lovely signages but the exit points are crowded beyond belief. It took me 45 mins to traverse a road which would have otherwise taken about 10 mins & I ended up reaching the airport 15 mins before the departure time. Fully convinced that I would miss the flight, I was relieved like hell when my check in was accepted at the Kingfisher counter.

Ironically I landed in Mumbai at 12:45 am (same time as Delhi the previous day) which was an hour behind schedule thanks to air traffic congestion at Mumbai airport. Whether its air or road, traffic problems are here to stay.

On a totally different note, the food on Kingfisher is exquisite!

Peacock Bay, NDA, Pune

2008-01-19T16:05:00.001+05:30

Peacock Bay
Originally uploaded by Vijay Basrur

We took off for Pune last weekend and drove down the Expressway. After the usual stop for vada pav & chai and another for petrol top up we finally made our way to my friend Arun's house in IAT, Pune. Institute of Armament Technology is near the Khadakvasla Dam and is quite a pain to get to, especially if you are wading through peak traffic. But all the pain of driving melts within minutes of arriving as the surroundings are absolutely stunning. Lush green areas, lovely roads, cute houses and most importantly no mobile connectivity.

Arun & Mugdha are the folks who got Snehal & me introduced and the rest is history. We are eternally grateful to this lovely couple who set things rolling for us. Ironically all of us could never be together ever sicne I met Snehal. Since they moved to Pune recently it was a good time to catch up. We talked for quite a while over some Royal Stag 7 Smirnoff and after polishing off a lovely dinner, we crashed into bed at 2 in the morning.

We were chaperoned around the campus & then the sprawling NDA campus in the morning. It was my first time inside the NDA campus and boy was it amazing. We also made our way to Peacock bay where the cadets practice various activities like sailing, surfing etc. They have some amazing equipment here right from sail boats, surf boards to water scooters.

We also had a lovely time lazing on the verandah which overlooked a small patch of green and sipping hot tea. Ideal holiday environment.

We are planning to make another visit soon.

Happy New Year

2008-01-03T16:11:00.000+05:30

Jr UBG
Originally uploaded by Vijay Basrur

The Engg college gang had planned to meet up at Durshet Forest Lodge for New Years. Durshet is about a 85 kms drive from Mumbai & just 15 kms from the first toll naka on the Expressway.

Snehal, MJ & me drove in my car. We were joined by 3 other families. To say we had a good time would be an understatement. The kids, even though they were only 2 girls, had a swell time too. Snehal & me even won a prize in the New Years eve function. It was crazy.

Our poison was a bottle of Glenlivet which was pretty good. Given the chill in the air, the single malt was perfect.

The place is very rustic but very homely. All the staff are very helpful and went out of the way to help us. The food was finger licking good. Though the main fare was mostly vegeterian we were more than pleased. Definitely a place we could go some other time.

Happy New Year everyone!

Bars in Goa

2007-12-24T15:46:00.001+05:30

I am in Goa for a day on work (yeah..I know its a bad time to come here on work while half of the world comes to Goa this time of the year to party party..but lets get to that issue). On my drive from the airport one can't miss the hundreds of bars that line up the main road.

There are fancy bars (with lovely sit outs under coconut trees), average bars (which have some amount of food on the menu), mom & pop bars (with the owners house right behind the bar), cheap bars (the only food they serve is chips), wine shop bars (the retail sale of liquor is as good as that in the bar), grocery store bars (you can pick up biscuits, detergent etc. while you finish your drink) and god knows how many other types.

You will also spot numerous wine shops peppered along the road in addition to these bars. Going by sheer numbers its amusing to see how much liquor can help in generating employment and income for people not to forget the incentive to spend and get intoxicated.

Will try & drink to that later tonight. Cheers!

Train Travel

2007-12-16T21:40:00.001+05:30

As children, train travel was always the most crucial aspect of our holidays. Thanks to Dad's LTA we would be nestled into the, long gone, first class coupes. My brother & me would enjoy ourselves thoroughly, playing cards being the main feature.

During Engg college, boarding the Sidheshwar Exp was a ritual we followed once every month in our first year and gradually once in the entire term towards the final year. Downing a couple of drinks before boarding at Solapur was a ritual we followed in the last 2 years.

My most memorable journey was in the 3rd AC compartment of the Kurla Bangalore Exp, sometime in Feb 96, for a site visit while working for Batliboi. In a journey that lasted 24 hours, I slept for 19. Pure bliss.

AC travel is the least stressful and most enjoyable as it forces you to relax. Look out of the window, read a bit, get tempted with the hordes of food vendors, fall for some of the temptations (I never miss the Soup) and the best of all... Sleep!

A ride on the Rajdhani is enough to convince you on the pleasures of train travel. A friend has highly recomended that I try the 1st AC on the Rajdhani. We plan to do so in Feb when we are hoping to visit the Mughal Gardens.

This is the first time I have blogged on the train. Remembering some of these train journey was indeed quite nostalgic.

KSRTC

2007-12-15T10:45:00.001+05:30

Travel in and around Kumta usually happens in my father in laws Maruti 800. So went to Karwar for some amazing fish at Hotel Ankur and then to Gokarn to meet my aunt in the 800 with my father in law at the wheel.

So when I had to go to Shirali & Bailur, I decided to get there alone by bus. Shirali is where our Muth is located which houses our community's spiritual leader. It is about 50 kms from Kumta. My main purpose of going there was to meet my Dad's aunt who was very fond of me. She is 93 and lives in an old age home run by the Muth. The tears in her eyes upon seeing me, made my trip worth every bit.

From there I headed to Bailur where my mother's family temple Laxmi Narayan is located. I met my uncle, attended the puja and had an amazing lunch after which I headed back to Kumta.

Bailur is a lush green town nestled away from the highway and the approach road is dry and arid making the town a welcome change as the approach road end.

And this brings me to the subject of this post, KSRTC. I depended on the KSRTC buses to get me to & from Shirali. And eventhough they are rickety and all that (they are called Lal Dabbas in Maharashtra) but they run frightfully on time. The conductors are equipped with handhelds which dish out tickets printed on thermal paper. This must be an amazing efficieny move. Along with having a control on the money, it must be giving vital data to analyze traffic movements to add/remove buses on key routes.

Ironically I boarded the same bus both ways & was greeted by the conductor with a smile when I boarded the bus from Shirali.

So in all it was a nice trip. We ended the day with a stroll on Hedbunder beach with a few friends and had dinner at Kumta's only open air garden restaurant. I have never had such thick & juicy Surmai in a long time.

Holiday Woes

2007-12-09T22:32:00.000+05:30

The week long break to Kumta started on a bad (disastrous) note. I forgot my laptop in the train while getting down at Kumta at 4 in the morning. I realised only after I woke up at 9 in the morning.

All efforts to get it back were in vain. My cousin even went to Mangalore station to see if anything could be done. And the loss was not only of the laptop. My haversack had my wallet with my driving licence, my credit cards and cash and my digital camera too.

Though I was a bit nervous initially but I cooled down after a while since there was nothing much we could do. Fortunately my office folks should be able to claim the insurance since we managed to file a FIR at the local police station.

My brother managed to block all my cards. So next week is going to be co-ordination & getting back to normalcy week.

Till then I am going to relax and try and make the best of the holiday. Thanks to my new phone and a blazing GPRS connection I am connected!

More later

Raipur Again!

2007-12-04T15:46:00.000+05:30

Just a day's stopover at Raipur for some work. The city is just the same. You get a feel of an upmarket rural town. The only construction you see here is a few malls that are coming up. Quite a difference from cities where every available piece of real estate is being converted into a township or a housing complex.

Guess Raipur is a few years away from all of that.

My blogging has been lethargic. I am yet to update the Kerala travel.

We leave for Kumta on Saturday for a well deserved break. Snehal will stay back for a week more. AM really looking forward for some reading, walking and yeah eating some yummy fish!

Kerala Ahoy

2007-11-11T00:45:00.001+05:30

So I leave for Kerala in a few hours. 4 days of fun & frolic. Agenda is some great kerala food, grog, a wedding, a day on the boat in the backwaters, sea food & REST. Will see if I can update the blog.

Indore

2007-10-29T13:30:00.001+05:30

Did a overnight trip to Indore last week. After a late night at work we hit a local dhaba for some rustic food and a couple of drinks. Dhaba food is amazing. Its lip smacking good, cooked fresh and down right cheap. Most dhaba's have a wine shop right next door, where you are supposed to buy your own booze. So its as we call it "paisa vasool".

The last time I had dhaba food was in Raipur and it was great.

Must try and do this in the smaller cities I visit.

Nagpur

2007-10-27T18:11:00.000+05:30

Was in Nagpur a few weeks back to check out our new site which should go live by the year end. There were 2 highlights of the trip. The first being hopeless flight timings leaving all my energies sapped and other was some excellent albeit late lunch. Lunch was our usual guest house food but we had ordered kheema kaleji & mutton rassa cooked in authentic "saoji style". Now if you want to eat saoji food, which is a cuisine Nagpur is popular for, you better be ready with some heavy duty fire dousers such as chilled water, curd or plain rice. Because the food is spicy as hell and not to mention finger licking good.

Don't ever miss it if you are in Nagpur, even if it means you miss your flight

Tunday Kababs

2007-10-10T15:26:00.000+05:30

When I visited Lucknow in 1999, my friend recommended I have a meal at Tundays in Aminabad, Lucknow. And I did. That meal left quite a lasting impression and I vowed that I would visit Tundays next time I land in Lucknow.

On Wednesday as soon as I landed I made plans to ensure we get to Tundays for lunch. Considering it was Ramzaan, the place was a hub of activity for during lunch time. Outside the hotel there are 3 main areas. One that is grilling tandoori chicken, one which makes beef kababs & the other mutton kababs.

We order kababs & parathas. Tunday parathas are somewhere midway between a roomali & roti. Freshly chopped onions & lime wedges are the only accompaniments which make this meal frugal yet delicious. The kababs are so soft, that you don't have to use your teeth to eat them. This is the main speciality of Tundays.

The place was a notch better than when I last saw it. It has a wide basement seating area whose walls have blown up photos of the 3rd generation owner & film stars. Anil Kapoor has posed in a ridiculous bathrobe.

4 of us gobble 5 plates of kababs & parathas. we also try the mutton biryani (average) and wash the meal with chilled Pepsi. One of the best meals I've had in the last few months.

Local Train Travel

2007-09-28T12:27:00.000+05:30

The fact that local trains in Mumbai are its lifeline is very well known. The sheer volume of people that commute is mind boggling. I have myself used the trains to get to work for a large part of my working life. Its only about 4 years back that I started to drive to work, and mind you its a long drive, 31 kms one way to be precise.

I love driving but the evening drive back turns out to be quite a pain albeit a necessary evil too. If you choose to drive to work, well you gotta drive back. So when your car goes into the service centre and stays there for more than 2 days for some major overhauls, more on that later, you have no choice but to get on to the trains.

Peak hour traffic is quite another thing. I got on to the 8:30 train to CST and man was I elbowed out before I fought back and got inside the train. Sure signs of aging and even solid signs that driving, even though boring & painful, beats the stress of train travel hands down. But once inside, the train gets you to your destination faster than road and suddenly the train sounds a better option. So I guess the key is to pick a time where you can get into the train without a push or a shove.

When I used to travel by train to work, we had a standard up-down practise. Basically go up to Thane in the train which eventually will move down to CST. It guarantees you a seat, a window if you are agile & lucky. But such luxuries are ill afforded these days so picking the right time is the key to a comfortable train travel.

I am planning to attempt to pick the right time and use the train to get to work for a few days next month. This is primarily for a change since I am really fed up of driving. So lets see how it works out.

Final Day

2007-09-17T15:22:00.000+05:30

The fact that we would return later in the evening made it difficult to wake up in the morning. Over some amazing bread from the local bakery for breakfast we made plans to take a walk and visit the vermicultre pit which is used to recycle organic waste.

The pit is made of 5 compartments. Each one has the compost which is in a different stage of development. Once the compartment is filled with the waste, there are special earthworms which are mixed along with the waste and covered with dry grass or hay and left for a long time. The resulting mixture is used as manure for agricultural purposes.

We got back home for the afternoon puja & aarti which was follwed by lunch. We then got down to packing our stuff and readied ourselves to leave for the station.

Fortunately the train was ontime and we were upgraded from 3rd AC to 2nd AC due to overbooking. We had some good dinner on the train. Though we got side berths in 2nd AC, it was less noisier than 3rd AC but the AC was quite low. It got a bit better as the night wore on.

We reached Kalyan at 5:15 in the morning and were home by 6. I started for work at 8:30 and was dreading the fact of having to go through 500 odd emails.

Why is that you want a holiday just when you finshed one?

Ganapati Bappa Morya

2007-09-15T22:57:00.000+05:30

Since the idol would be brought home only by around 11 am, we decided to drive down to see Gokak Falls. We took the new Swift and drove about 10 kms.

Though there was quite a bit of water, the falls were far from full. Most photos of the falls are quite amazing but I guess they are during monsoon season. We walked on the suspension bridge which is maintained by Forbes Gokak. Its quite a joy to walk on the bridge, especially when there are quite a few on it. It shakes & moves as you walk. Our guide was Dhruv, who lives in Gokak and is related to Snehal. He gave us a lot of information as we drove & walked and was good fun to be with.

We got back well in time for the Ganapati Puja. The Ganapati puja was followed by a "gana hom" which is a fairly long puja.

The entire hospital staff is invited for lunch on Ganapati day, which is a really nice gesture by Snehal's uncle/cousin. The lunch spread was amazing and there was no alternative but to catch about 80 winks. Snehal finshed her lunch much after me and grabbed a short nap.

There was evening aarti which was good fun. Snehal's niece Anoushka, was great company all through the holiday and was quite excited during the aarti and was a volunteer for the music accompaniments for the aarti, along with her brother Rahul.

We ended the day with a light dinner

Gauri Puja

2007-09-14T21:56:00.000+05:30

The day before Ganapati is celebrated as Gauri Puja or "Tayi" in amchi lingo. This is the day Gauri (Ganapati's mother) arrives home. The married ladies of the house also offer "vayn" which is then offered to elderly married ladies. Quite a lady affair I say.

As per tradition, the first "vayn" for the lady is at her parents place or wherever her parents celebrate Ganapati. Since Gokak is where Snehal's folks come every year, we followed suit.

Snehal & me performed the puja and later Snehal offered the "vayn". The first "vayn" is offered to Gauri, the next to the panditji & the third to the husband followed by elder ladies. And needless to say, the new bride gets gifts in return for the first "vayn"

We had a sumptuous lunch which was followed by a nice long siesta.

I spent the later half of the evening taking a walk on the terrace and having some lovely tea, which is sourced from Bangalore. I must try and get some of that.

Gokak City

2007-09-13T22:43:00.000+05:30

After an uneventful train journey, most of which we spent sleeping, we reached Ghataprabha Station at 8:45 am. After a 30 min drive we reached at Snehal's uncle's palatial house.

The house is a small part in a sprawling campus. The entire family is full of doctors & they have been running a very successful hospital since the past 30 years. On the facade stands a very modern hospital which specializes in Laparoscopic Surgery.

Along with this hospital, there are 2 huge bungalows, 2 gardens, lots of walkways and the old/original hospital which has been functional since 30 years. It is quite amazing to see the number of people employed & the goodwill they have in the entire village. I guess being well known in a small village has its own advantages.

After a lovely lunch & a short siesta, we were invited by Snehal's cousin to see a Hysterectomy operation. It was my first experience inside the Operation Theatre and we were asked to wear a cap, a mask, a gown & OT shoes. To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. He gave us an overview of the operation and was kind enough to explain some of the key elements of the operation. Laparoscopic surgery is quite a skill and requires quite a bit of patience & concentration.

We were inside the Operation Theatre for about an hour after which we shared a cup of tea with the Doc who answered some more questions which we were itching to ask. I think this is an experience I will never forget.

The rest of the evening was full of Ganapati preparations with more family members arriving and joining in the preparations.

I am using BSNL broadband to blog & the speeds here in Gokak are blazing. It really beats the shit out my Hathway connection in Mumbai. Excellent Internet & a good mobile phone coverage is all you need to be working for any organization in any part of the world. Maybe someday!

Gokak

2007-09-12T15:09:00.000+05:30

We leave for Gokak in the evening. We are hoping to go & see the Gokak Falls along with enjoying some great food during Ganapati. Its Snehal's first after marriage, so she will be the centre of attractions. Also read more gifts for her :)

Gokak City has a pretty cool website. Impressive!

Details later

Mishti Doi

2007-09-01T12:48:00.000+05:30

Picked up some amazing Mishti Doi from Kolkata. I happened to be there twice last month in consecutive weeks. Once I picked up a kullad for us & the other time for my uncle on special request.

I love it!

Pune & Back

2007-08-30T22:00:00.000+05:30

We did a 2 day trip to Pune with a tight agenda.

I had to finish some office work, we had to meet my close friend Nandan & his family, stay at Snehal's uncle's place & attend Meenu (Snehal's close friend)'s wedding.

Since we had quite a bit to cover, we decided to drive down and boy is it fun to drive on the expressway. Its probably one of the few drives where you can push your car to the maximum. The greenery all along makes the drive even more enjoyable. And of course not to be missed are the pit stops to down a hot cuppa chai with hot vada pavs.

We first stopped over at Nandan's house and some amazing idlis with sambar & chutney and some lip smacking mutton curry with bread. Roopali was amazing with the food which she had cooked and given the conditions of their new house, it was nothing short of a miracle. I drove to finish my work while Snehal got her hair straightened. We met Nandan in the evening and after a few drinks & some amazing time with Roma we reached Aundh for the night.

We attended a pucca Maratha wedding and watched all the proceedings at close proximity. The bride was more shy & smiling from ear to ear all through. After a fantastic lunch, we started back for Mumbai wishing & hoping we could sleep for atleast an hour, a wish that remained unfulfilled but got us to Mumbai before sunset.

Bye Bye Goa

2007-08-14T22:39:00.000+05:30

A huge breakfast & a long siesta pretty much ate away the first half of the day. My brother & his family left for the airport at @ 12 and we left an hour later.

We were 2 hours early for the flight thanks to the unavailability of the airport drop. We hung around in the Jet lounge, grabbed a bite and some 50 winks before we boarded the flight. Thankfully no glitches on the way back.

We reached home tired, sleepy with our minds still wandering on the beaches of Goa. We will heading back to Goa in Oct for 3 days but that will be a religious trip. But this holiday has ensured that we will take such holidays twice a year.