Category: Travel

Putrajaya Experience


Couldn’t update Putra Jaya Pics immediately… Most of the clicks were done using Canon DSLR Camera & some of the pic taken using iPhone couldn’t be uploaded as we didn’t have a data connection then… Went to Putrajaya Mosque, Prime Ministers Office & Lake…

Really liked the concept of developing a City for all Government, Bureaucracy & Judiciary… And importantly making it a tourist destination and gain revenue for the exchequer…
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All good things collapsed at Putra Jaya convention Center as I dropped my iPhone :(( and got the first scratches… Now Swaminathan Kasiviswanathan​​ should be a happy man :)…

Then got a local SIM card with Data Connection at Alamanda Mall…
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Closed the first missions of the itinerary successfully… Then Proceeded to Putra Jaya Station to KL Sentral… And from KL SENTRAL to Genting Highlands…

Just boarded the flight!!! A selfie inside the fligh…


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Just boarded the flight!!! A selfie inside the flight…

Off to Malaysia


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Off to Malaysia with Yamuna… It is a pure vagabond trip as we have not gone for any vacation package… We land, decide on the spot & ENJOY!!!

Shaving before heading to Malaysia


Shaving Time!!!

Made it to Bangalore


Finally decided to go with Bangalore, as it is 120 KM less compared to Madurai…

A short 10 min break before Pallikonda toll at CCD… Loaded myself with some caffeine..

Then enjoyed my drive & thanks to Sawme for a nice 45 min call on a not so busy stretch between Pallikonda to Krishnagiri…

From Krishnagiri onwards it is the lorry that keeps engaged & I enjoy the Zik Zak drive in this stretch…

Upon reaching Bangalore had dinner at my favourite Hotel Upahara at Gottegere & then reached home by 10.45 PM on 12 Feb 2014 :)…

Explored Tutucorin


A campus drive had been scheduled at Chandy College of Engineering, Tutucorin… After a 120 KM joyful drive to the college… We were taken for breakfast & straight to the Principal… After a brief interaction we were taken to the auditorium & we gave a small intro about the company… Then myself and Swami handed over baton to Deepak & co…

From there we went Thiruchendur, Punnai Nagar, Tutucorin City and have no words about the experience…

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Swami giving an intro about Cogzidel…

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Time for pose at Thiruchendur…

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VanaThirupathi Temple…

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Lunch at Hotel Saravana Bhavan, Punnai Nagar… Also this is the native of Saravana Bhavan Annachi…

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Swami saw the reach of Thala… No posters of Vijay seen anywhere :)…

Over all it was nice drive, lunch, coffee at GRT & enjoyed the beauty of nature…

Thanks to Swami for offering me this opportunity to explore & this experience will last over the memory lane…

Drive to Madurai


For the first time I drove to Madurai a distance of 420 KM from Chennai… Purpose of the visit is to attend Cogzidel Day, to carry some systems & gifts…

Car was loaded with boxes and my entire rear view got blocked… Still risked and continued my drive with Ravi as navigator…

Couldn’t overtake or accelerate because of blocked rear view… Then reached Melmaruvathur and had breakfast at Anandaas….

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Again it was a slow drive and we took a break before Trichy at Chakra Milk Parlour… After crossing Trichy, it was a pleasant drive with not much traffic…

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Finally reached Madurai by afternoon and the Highlight of the trip was Ravi… It was the first time Ravi travelled 400+ KM without sleeping :)…

My Blog Kindles Nostalgia


Just realized after seeing Roobans Facebook feed that it has been 3 years since we went on a Vagabond trip…

http://www.anandnataraj.com/blog/2010/03/21/sleeping-in-the-car/

Couldn’t believe its 3 years as events still remain in front of me and it looks as if it happened yesterday…

While we 3 musketeers were driving on OMR and planning for a routine weekend… Kavi in his own ways asked if written can drive long?

Immediately without hesitation Rooban and I agreed…. Immediately we took a U- Turn and the rest is history…

Immediately after the experience I blogged it and today the blog took us to Nostalgia… Today definitely the memory lives…

Am typing this blog without seeing what I blogged 3 years back… But these are things I remember;

  • Started driving to Yelagiri by 11 from Chennai…
  • Stopped in a road side dhaba for some food and drink somewhere neat kancheepuram…
  • Reached Yelagiri by 4ish in the morning…
  • Slept in the car…
  • Booked a room for an hour to refresh and for bath… Quarreled with the owner for being harsh…
  • Had break fast in a road side bhai kadai…
  • Saw a guy who met with an accident and offered our mineral water bottle…
  • Met a Thala fan…
  • Saw a guy who was constructing gate villas…
  • Went to Fab end and had ice-cream in a shop…
  • Spent some time on a tower near the lake…
  • On way back took a pic of a school van which had something wrong…Rooban bro do you remember what was wrong?
  • Briyani at Khaja Restaurant at Ambur by evening…
  • Back to Chennai by 8…

Travelled seeking Divine Help


My uncle called up yesterday asking me to visit our Kula Deivam (Family God) temple and pray for dads quick recovery… Immediately planed the travel and I also thought of visiting Vaitheeswaran Kovil too which is some 20KM from our native Chidambaram…

Day before travel was very hectic, slept late and had to wake up early to pick my wife… My mom wanted me to start by 6AM but we started our drive by 7.30…

Originally planned to going to Kula Deivam temple by 10.30 AM finish the darshan by 11 AM and the goto Vaitheeswaran Kovil by noon finish POOJA there and return back to Chennai by 1 o clock…

But we couldn’t go as per our plan as we were able to reach china bharar only by 11.45 for unexpected delays and we altered red the plan…

– Stopped at Porur Jalagandesswar templa to get assorted flowers… Got only rose…
– Stopped at Guduvancherry to get assorted flowers…
– Filled petrol at MaraiMalai Nagar…
– There was a small commotion at Dhindivanam toll and will blog separately about it…
– Travelled thru Vikravandi, Panrutti, Neyveli, Vadalur and Bhuvanagiri… Roads were bad with lots of potholes…
– It was 12 and we went to Vaitheeswaran Kovil as it will b closed by 1 PM and temple will be opened only by 6 PM…
– Reached Vaitheeswaran Kovil by 12.30PM and we finished doing archanai for 5 main gods…
– Finished our lunch with temple prasadams Coriander Rice, Sugar Pongal and Curd Rice with some Murukku…
– Immediately proceeded to Kula Deivam temple…
– Reached temple by 2.30 PM and had good darshan…
– Enjoyed the beauty of our village, the breeze and the harvest…
– Started to drive back to Chennai…

Overall had good darahans, prayed for my dad and Spent to spend some time for my wife….

Also must thank my wife who travelled non-stop for 20 hours, for giving company, giving moral support and finally for the Badam milk she sponsored….

Denied a Coffee from CCD


After a while it was a party time yesterday… Took a friend out to the streets and malls of Bangalore… After all fun we packed our bags to Chennai by around 11.30 PM… From there we drove to our favourite spot HP Petrol Bunk at Soolagiri which has McDonalds, Cafe Coffee Day and other food joints…

After fuelling the car we headed to Cafe Coffee Day to cool us with some COLD COFFEE… Joint was unusual less crowded and I placed my order;

Me: 2 cafe frappe please…

CCD folk: want extra ice-cream??

Me: No just frappe….

CCD folk: 174 rupees SIR!!!

Me: Handed over a Rs.500/- note…

CCD folk: no change SIR…

Me: me too don’t have change….

CCD folk: sorry sir no change SIR!!!

Me: What do you mean to say?? You can’t take this order without giving you exact change??

CCD folk: Yes SIR…

Me: YOU CAN’T TELL THAT TO A CUSTOMER…. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE CHANGE OR ARRANGE FOR CHANGE…

CCD folk: sorry SIR!!!

My anger shot to my head and my friends asked if we have to fight it out…. By this time I decided not to take anything from that guy…. Also creating a scene is not going to help it anyway as it will give the other guy an opportunity to justify his act….

I sat for a moment and posted following message in CCD FB Page and raised a complaint thru their Contact Us page;

mr.nayan refused to take my order for not tendering exact change of rs.174(I tendered rs.500)… Poor #customerservice….

Then as a solace someone called from their in the morning and apologised…. Also there was a reply in my post asking for the location… Not sure if any strict action was taken….