Woke up at 10, and ready to go at 11. We had a cup of coffee at the manager's office and went off towards the rainbow falls.
A complete trek of about 6 miles on hilly terrain, not the simplest at all. The rainbow falls were decent, nothing really spectacular for those who have checked those out around Pune (or maybe other places too).
But these falls were different than those back at home. Ok lemme rephrase, the falls were different than those at home due to the weather. It was amazingly cold, and there were huge number of icicles created near the falls. Those icicles looked really beautiful with the sun shimmering on them.
The trek to the falls itself was a good workout. With Ajinkya and I jogging about half of it, it turned out to be a super-workout for us. There were these small one-log bridges across the stream of water that were quite picturesque.
The 6 miles walk surely drained a lot out of us. And the six of us could not wait too long to dig in. We decided to eat at the Charleys that luck had denied us on Day 1. This time we were in good time and ‘space' to get a table right away. Everybody ate a lot. And the grandma waitress, with her age showing in her forgetfulness, did make us laugh with her antics.
With the food in, we decided to move on. With the end of Wednesday looming, and the weather uncertain, we had a couple of options going to Mammoth caves chancing it or heading back home. We had a share of pickers too, Ajinkya, Dhaval, Satya and Amit decided to chance it while Amey, Shishir, Pranav and me decided to head back. With about 6 hrs 30 mins of estimated driving time, it was a 'miracle' that we made it back home in about 6 hours. Our watch (or the speedometer) was wrong.
Home at about 2 AM, we were very lucky to get a free parking spot closeby. Was not much that any1 wanted to do but sleep and we did exactly that. Each one, I guess, dreaming about the next Spring break (if at all) and the fun waiting in that time!
Showing posts with label trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trip. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Spring Break 06 - Day 5: Smokeys Day 2
The previous night was the last date we had the room reserved for us. We were to check out at 11 AM and we did. The plan of action for the day was to do some white-water rafting, check out the rainbow falls and then move on towards Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. Everyone was quite excited about the rafting.
Unfortunately, the dam in the town releases its water sometime around 1 PM and so the last batch for rafting is generally around 11 AM and we didn't find anyone to take us for the joy-ride. Fortunately, there was a place that did agree to take us on the raft-ride. And boy, what a ride it was. Was an amazing experience, and rafting sure has become one of my favorites since. I just can't explain it!.
With two hours of rowing, we were famished. I had this nice big helping of barbecue chicken. Don't remember the taste! but sure felt good inside :).
We then decided to get back to Gatlinburg and explore the tourist town there. And along with that plan what to do next. We were out of our room, and with all the work really not in a condition to make a roundabout 5 hour drive towards Mammoth caves. Most of us wanted to check the Rainbow Falls. With that vote taken in, we decided to spend another night around and booked a couple of rooms in a motel Pigeon Forge.
Before that, we had tattoos made on our arms. Took us about an hour to choose 4 tattoos, but was worth the fun. We also checked out a 4D theatre that totally sucked. We bought some t-shirts and ate something to finish the day happily.
We had this amazing dinner at IHOP (another chain of restaurants that spells out to International House of Pancakes). I was really full and totally deserved a nice rest.
Unfortunately, the dam in the town releases its water sometime around 1 PM and so the last batch for rafting is generally around 11 AM and we didn't find anyone to take us for the joy-ride. Fortunately, there was a place that did agree to take us on the raft-ride. And boy, what a ride it was. Was an amazing experience, and rafting sure has become one of my favorites since. I just can't explain it!.
With two hours of rowing, we were famished. I had this nice big helping of barbecue chicken. Don't remember the taste! but sure felt good inside :).
We then decided to get back to Gatlinburg and explore the tourist town there. And along with that plan what to do next. We were out of our room, and with all the work really not in a condition to make a roundabout 5 hour drive towards Mammoth caves. Most of us wanted to check the Rainbow Falls. With that vote taken in, we decided to spend another night around and booked a couple of rooms in a motel Pigeon Forge.
Before that, we had tattoos made on our arms. Took us about an hour to choose 4 tattoos, but was worth the fun. We also checked out a 4D theatre that totally sucked. We bought some t-shirts and ate something to finish the day happily.
We had this amazing dinner at IHOP (another chain of restaurants that spells out to International House of Pancakes). I was really full and totally deserved a nice rest.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Spring Break 06 - Day 4: Smokeys Day 1
The first day at Smokeys. As per plan, we drove out to the National Park setup at the foothills of the Smokeys and gathered as much information as possible from the friendly Ranger along with as many maps of the area as possible.
The day though quite pleasant at time, was forecasted to have a really bad storm in the later part. With that in mind, the ranger cautioned us to set on long trails. She let us know that the Rainbow Falls were a pretty sight and not to be missed. Also, the New Found Gap, the highest point in the Smokeys was another interesting place. It was accessible by road itself, and the road went on through the scenic mountains towards North Carolina, had a part of the Applachain trail (one of the longest in the world) along it, and went all the way to Cherokee where there was an Indian Residency area. (The American Indians that Mr. Columbus found, not us Indians).
We decided to take on all these things, and try to get back before the storm.
The New Found Gap, definitely was a breath-taking view and we spent a good half an hour at that place marveling at the mountains and taking pictures. It was hard to imagine how beautiful it would be during the fall, but even the ‘quite-barren' mountain slopes were a view to gasp.
Next we moved on to the longest trail. With the storm showing signs of early arrival, we didn't venture too far on the trail. With about an hour spent here, and the rain now just beginning, and the hunger settling in, we decided to go to the closest eating place around…. Cherokee – about 10 miles in the other direction from our hotel. Some wise guy has said – hunger is the worst enemy. Well I would not completely disagree.
We moved on towards Cherokee, with the rain coming down a little harder, but not giving any trouble. As we reached the Indian Residency area, the rain was nowhere around. There we found this amazing little Chocolate Factory and outlet. Two talkative grannys were running the store at that time, and we had a LOT of chocolate inside us in no time. We washed it down with some coffee. But food… as in hunger satisfying food was not seen around. Most of the restaurants were closed, as it was not the ‘visitor' season which it seems starts somewhere in mid-April. So we moved on right into Cherokee. There we found a decent Pizzeria where we had stomach over-full of pizza. ( The cute oriental-looking waitress had nothing to do with the amount of pizza we ate).
With the hunger satisfied and the storm still not seen, we decided to head back to Pigeon Forge (that's where our hotel was remember?) This moment on, is where I understand the wise-crack I mentioned above. The ghats that we had crossed to get to Cherokee, were completely filled with fog – fog as dense as cotton I would say. I got a pic of that in the album by the right. Check it out – yeah the one where u see nothing. It was well.. completely white and our cars moving at about 10 mph seemed really fast. With 3 of us – Pranav from the back seat, Shishir from the driver-side seat and me in the driver seat, with our eyes peeled to the road, managed to make it through. The other four in the other car, were ahead. They made it too guys… they were waiting for us at the end of the 11 miles stretch where the fog gave way to some ‘visible' air. We had our jokes about our fog and in about 5 mins drove on towards the hotel.
Just as we got in, and were in the corridors opening the door to our room, the storm really started. Man… did it pour!!! . Nature can have its way … wow… that evening it proved its mood tantrum… again. It literally poured, for about half hour and then went off the way it had come.
That night Amey, Pranav, Shishir and me were in a really pranky mood. Especially me n Pranav. We crawled downstairs and tried to scare Satya and Amit with white sheets over our head playing ghosts. The pranks failed miserably, but we still had our laughs.
Oh oh oh! this is one of the most well kept secret till now!
We had 2 TV sets in our room, one downstairs where Ajinkya, Dhaval, Amit and Satya ‘lived' and one upstairs where the rest of us 4 ‘lived'. Each set had its own remote control. Now these controls were universal, and we had ours configured to theirs!! And was it fun to switch off and switch on their TV with them wondering whats going on ! :D.. Devilish I know! but I loved it. >:)
That night we slept at about 5.30 AM. We had this long talk about all of us and what we like/dislike about each others. Good times
The day though quite pleasant at time, was forecasted to have a really bad storm in the later part. With that in mind, the ranger cautioned us to set on long trails. She let us know that the Rainbow Falls were a pretty sight and not to be missed. Also, the New Found Gap, the highest point in the Smokeys was another interesting place. It was accessible by road itself, and the road went on through the scenic mountains towards North Carolina, had a part of the Applachain trail (one of the longest in the world) along it, and went all the way to Cherokee where there was an Indian Residency area. (The American Indians that Mr. Columbus found, not us Indians).
We decided to take on all these things, and try to get back before the storm.
The New Found Gap, definitely was a breath-taking view and we spent a good half an hour at that place marveling at the mountains and taking pictures. It was hard to imagine how beautiful it would be during the fall, but even the ‘quite-barren' mountain slopes were a view to gasp.
Next we moved on to the longest trail. With the storm showing signs of early arrival, we didn't venture too far on the trail. With about an hour spent here, and the rain now just beginning, and the hunger settling in, we decided to go to the closest eating place around…. Cherokee – about 10 miles in the other direction from our hotel. Some wise guy has said – hunger is the worst enemy. Well I would not completely disagree.
We moved on towards Cherokee, with the rain coming down a little harder, but not giving any trouble. As we reached the Indian Residency area, the rain was nowhere around. There we found this amazing little Chocolate Factory and outlet. Two talkative grannys were running the store at that time, and we had a LOT of chocolate inside us in no time. We washed it down with some coffee. But food… as in hunger satisfying food was not seen around. Most of the restaurants were closed, as it was not the ‘visitor' season which it seems starts somewhere in mid-April. So we moved on right into Cherokee. There we found a decent Pizzeria where we had stomach over-full of pizza. ( The cute oriental-looking waitress had nothing to do with the amount of pizza we ate).
With the hunger satisfied and the storm still not seen, we decided to head back to Pigeon Forge (that's where our hotel was remember?) This moment on, is where I understand the wise-crack I mentioned above. The ghats that we had crossed to get to Cherokee, were completely filled with fog – fog as dense as cotton I would say. I got a pic of that in the album by the right. Check it out – yeah the one where u see nothing. It was well.. completely white and our cars moving at about 10 mph seemed really fast. With 3 of us – Pranav from the back seat, Shishir from the driver-side seat and me in the driver seat, with our eyes peeled to the road, managed to make it through. The other four in the other car, were ahead. They made it too guys… they were waiting for us at the end of the 11 miles stretch where the fog gave way to some ‘visible' air. We had our jokes about our fog and in about 5 mins drove on towards the hotel.
Just as we got in, and were in the corridors opening the door to our room, the storm really started. Man… did it pour!!! . Nature can have its way … wow… that evening it proved its mood tantrum… again. It literally poured, for about half hour and then went off the way it had come.
That night Amey, Pranav, Shishir and me were in a really pranky mood. Especially me n Pranav. We crawled downstairs and tried to scare Satya and Amit with white sheets over our head playing ghosts. The pranks failed miserably, but we still had our laughs.
Oh oh oh! this is one of the most well kept secret till now!
We had 2 TV sets in our room, one downstairs where Ajinkya, Dhaval, Amit and Satya ‘lived' and one upstairs where the rest of us 4 ‘lived'. Each set had its own remote control. Now these controls were universal, and we had ours configured to theirs!! And was it fun to switch off and switch on their TV with them wondering whats going on ! :D.. Devilish I know! but I loved it. >:)
That night we slept at about 5.30 AM. We had this long talk about all of us and what we like/dislike about each others. Good times
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Spring Break 06 - Day 3: Smokeys ahoy!
Smokeys ahoy! Started off as early as 9 AM. Yeah there was some talk of 6 AM, just decided to look at it a lil differently ( for those who don't see the joke. Get urself up on ur a$$! ) The ride was an exciting one with a lot of rain coming (pouring would be a better word actually). The visibility wasn't so great though we never moved slower than ..ahem.. some speed. Did I mention it was pouring down? And we saw quite a few cars slipped and banged on the curbs, but I just decided to risk the lives of those in the car. After all, the speed surely was fun without the site. It seriously was pouring all the way in Indiana and Kentucky. Check the driving map and details on right.
With a couple of breaks, we made it to the Hotel room in about 8 hours. The drive certainly got a much more scenic from in the later half with the Kentucky mountains making way for the Indiana plains. Our hotel was in a town called Pigeon Forge, 5 miles away from the Smokey Mtns. Itself. Yeah lower rates – u guessed right (if u did at all).
The room was not a complete disaster. It had 3 double beds, allowing 6 of us 8 to get rest on them and the remaining two were to be satisfied in the sleeping bags. Didn't really make a difference, as we didn't really sleep longer than 4-5 hours, with major part of the night spent in pranks and big discussions.
The room became more attractive as we saw 2 really gorgeous chicks in a room below our floor.
With the check-in formalities done, we decided to go around this town and get some munch. We walked about a little more than a mile, till we got bored of walking. We saw a Charley's just ahead where we decided to have some food. But, smart people as we are, we figured out that, we would not be in a mood to walk back after eating. So we walked back right away and got our cars to Charley's. (Oh it's a chain of restaurants for those who have been wondering).
Sunday night, 9 PM, perfect time for dinner. No wonder we were told that there was quite some waiting involved before eating there. So we just had a reservation made and decided to get down to a Chinese buffet place we had seen earlier. The food at the Chinese buffet was, hmm... how do I put it so that I don't get sued by the buffet places . Ok I think u musta got it so I am just gonna leave it at that.
But we still ate quite a lot, worth each penny of the 10 odd $s that we spent. (Atleast I did). We then went off for a late night drive towards the town of Gatlinburg. That's supposed to be the real attraction after the smokeys itself. It was quite late and most of the places were closed or rather… about to open in about 3-4 hours.
With nothing else to do, we got back to our hotel room. Jokes and pranks being in the air, laughter was not at all lacking. We then had a game of cards. Plans for the next day were made. Was nothing great, just wake up at some time I forget and go down to the Smokey mountains and explore all of it. Check out the trails and more info that can be planned on the next day.
With these plans brewing up, people started getting drowsy. And was not long that we were dreaming (not day-dreaming).
With a couple of breaks, we made it to the Hotel room in about 8 hours. The drive certainly got a much more scenic from in the later half with the Kentucky mountains making way for the Indiana plains. Our hotel was in a town called Pigeon Forge, 5 miles away from the Smokey Mtns. Itself. Yeah lower rates – u guessed right (if u did at all).
The room was not a complete disaster. It had 3 double beds, allowing 6 of us 8 to get rest on them and the remaining two were to be satisfied in the sleeping bags. Didn't really make a difference, as we didn't really sleep longer than 4-5 hours, with major part of the night spent in pranks and big discussions.
The room became more attractive as we saw 2 really gorgeous chicks in a room below our floor.
With the check-in formalities done, we decided to go around this town and get some munch. We walked about a little more than a mile, till we got bored of walking. We saw a Charley's just ahead where we decided to have some food. But, smart people as we are, we figured out that, we would not be in a mood to walk back after eating. So we walked back right away and got our cars to Charley's. (Oh it's a chain of restaurants for those who have been wondering).
Sunday night, 9 PM, perfect time for dinner. No wonder we were told that there was quite some waiting involved before eating there. So we just had a reservation made and decided to get down to a Chinese buffet place we had seen earlier. The food at the Chinese buffet was, hmm... how do I put it so that I don't get sued by the buffet places . Ok I think u musta got it so I am just gonna leave it at that.
But we still ate quite a lot, worth each penny of the 10 odd $s that we spent. (Atleast I did). We then went off for a late night drive towards the town of Gatlinburg. That's supposed to be the real attraction after the smokeys itself. It was quite late and most of the places were closed or rather… about to open in about 3-4 hours.
With nothing else to do, we got back to our hotel room. Jokes and pranks being in the air, laughter was not at all lacking. We then had a game of cards. Plans for the next day were made. Was nothing great, just wake up at some time I forget and go down to the Smokey mountains and explore all of it. Check out the trails and more info that can be planned on the next day.
With these plans brewing up, people started getting drowsy. And was not long that we were dreaming (not day-dreaming).
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Spring Break 06 - Day 2: Chicago
The day began with a nice hot cup of tea made by Mr. Gunjan, with a lot of jokes and fun, and various plans and options for the day ahead. The final plan though was made up with 7 of us near the cars. The plan was quite simple “drive down the lake-shore drive, one the scenic drives out there, get down to Devon Street (Gandhi marg as its known now), eat as much Indian food as possible out there, check the downtown after that (if we are up to it) and then get back to Indy.
Driving down to Devon was not a problem and eating food never is. Checking downtown was out of question once we got there. It was as crowded as the roads in Pune during Ganapati.
The drive though was certainly awesome with Lake Michigan at the right giving a lively beach scene and the soaring Chicago downtown on the left bringing the blue sky into the picture too. Indian food was certainly close, but surely was not ˜Indiana" per say. In fact we get better Indian food at the restaurant here in Indy.
The drive back to Indy was not long either, and we were home by around 7.30 PM. There was a b'day party the same night at one the apartments around and had a some fun out there. All the other people went on a tour of the Indy downtown.
It was decided to leave off towards Smokey Mountains as early as possible the next day. There was some talk about 6 AM, which we will know when it actually happens. Hoping to have some fun from 2mor and not think about any work things for the next 3 days (atleast).
Driving down to Devon was not a problem and eating food never is. Checking downtown was out of question once we got there. It was as crowded as the roads in Pune during Ganapati.
The drive though was certainly awesome with Lake Michigan at the right giving a lively beach scene and the soaring Chicago downtown on the left bringing the blue sky into the picture too. Indian food was certainly close, but surely was not ˜Indiana" per say. In fact we get better Indian food at the restaurant here in Indy.
The drive back to Indy was not long either, and we were home by around 7.30 PM. There was a b'day party the same night at one the apartments around and had a some fun out there. All the other people went on a tour of the Indy downtown.
It was decided to leave off towards Smokey Mountains as early as possible the next day. There was some talk about 6 AM, which we will know when it actually happens. Hoping to have some fun from 2mor and not think about any work things for the next 3 days (atleast).
Friday, March 10, 2006
Spring Break 06 - Day 1: Chicago ahoy!
Rented the cars from National at around 4 PM and took off to Chicago right away. Was not much of a drive and were into the city in about 3 hours. The fun came after that when the address given was a 'little' different than where we actually were supposed to go.
Ajinkya's school-mate was the person we were planning to go to. Well, for some 'not-yet-known' reason, he could not come out of his apartment building. The address he had given was some thing different and he could not even guide us to his building from where we were, which we later understood was just behind his building's entrance.
And we had made this interesting error of mistaking O'Hare airport with O'Hare airport's information centre. (The two of these are 20 miles apart). With this amazing realization, we had our plans changed drastically. According to the original plan, we were supposed to go to the airport to collect Amit (whose flight was landing at 9.30) and Dhaval (whose flight was touching down at 11). With the airport moving 20 miles farther, this plan was dumped into the waste basket along with the remains of the packed Indian food we had bought at the nearby 7-11.
As soon as Amit was here, we let him know that he should wait for Dhaval and then the 2 of them should catch a cab and get down to this place where we were and then go ahead with other plans. With a little pissed off and hungry Amit waiting for Dhaval, we decided to get on with making some plans and knowing the city better. Asking this 'in-the-building' guy felt a waste of time and so I called up another guy named Gunjan, who I know stayed somewhere close. Luckily it was really close (just the next apartment building). Consulting him made quite a few things clearer. And we also got a place to lay our a$$es to rest after whatever it was that we were going to be doing.
Well, things did not go quite as smooth as I had hoped, and I don't even want to get into that, now that its gone, but we surely had our share of fun. That night, after Dhaval and Amit made it to the rest spot, after about half an hour, we left towards downtown Chicago. With small walks around downtown at about 2 AM I was surely having fun.
The Sears Towers did make a nice sight. With the moon in the background and the Sears shiny black stones gleaming in the white light with the black sky draping the backstage, snaps were bound to be taken. They should be up in the album I have (or will soon be having) along with this blog. We also walked along some other places that we just thought would be cool for a walk. Finally everyone retired wherever they were supposed to be sleeping at around 4 AM.
Ajinkya's school-mate was the person we were planning to go to. Well, for some 'not-yet-known' reason, he could not come out of his apartment building. The address he had given was some thing different and he could not even guide us to his building from where we were, which we later understood was just behind his building's entrance.
And we had made this interesting error of mistaking O'Hare airport with O'Hare airport's information centre. (The two of these are 20 miles apart). With this amazing realization, we had our plans changed drastically. According to the original plan, we were supposed to go to the airport to collect Amit (whose flight was landing at 9.30) and Dhaval (whose flight was touching down at 11). With the airport moving 20 miles farther, this plan was dumped into the waste basket along with the remains of the packed Indian food we had bought at the nearby 7-11.
As soon as Amit was here, we let him know that he should wait for Dhaval and then the 2 of them should catch a cab and get down to this place where we were and then go ahead with other plans. With a little pissed off and hungry Amit waiting for Dhaval, we decided to get on with making some plans and knowing the city better. Asking this 'in-the-building' guy felt a waste of time and so I called up another guy named Gunjan, who I know stayed somewhere close. Luckily it was really close (just the next apartment building). Consulting him made quite a few things clearer. And we also got a place to lay our a$$es to rest after whatever it was that we were going to be doing.
Well, things did not go quite as smooth as I had hoped, and I don't even want to get into that, now that its gone, but we surely had our share of fun. That night, after Dhaval and Amit made it to the rest spot, after about half an hour, we left towards downtown Chicago. With small walks around downtown at about 2 AM I was surely having fun.
The Sears Towers did make a nice sight. With the moon in the background and the Sears shiny black stones gleaming in the white light with the black sky draping the backstage, snaps were bound to be taken. They should be up in the album I have (or will soon be having) along with this blog. We also walked along some other places that we just thought would be cool for a walk. Finally everyone retired wherever they were supposed to be sleeping at around 4 AM.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Tour de Indiana- Day 4
AUTHOR: Tanmay DATE: 9/27/2005 01:55:00 AM ----- BODY: Sunday came, bringing along a huge downpour of incessant rainfall. Amey was down with fever and headache, Bhavna with assignments (another type of headache), Megha with tests (yet another) and Nidhi does not generally like to go on trips with less number of people. That left me and Poramet again. It was about 12:00 noon by the time we left. Our mission was to explore the city we lived in... go all around it... on the main streets and check out all the different things the city offers which stay hidden like gems.
We found the Fort Harrison State Park... just about 30 mins dricing distance from our place and it seemed like a place to be at some other time. With the cats and dogs coming down, we didnt feel like paying to get in and not getting out of the car at all. We moved through the express-way loop all around Indy. Checked out various Churches and museums on the way. We then went some way towards Cincinnati but didnt find something that caught our eyes. And finally after about 4 hours of exploration the two of us came back.
We then watched 'Romeo Must Die' on the TV and just lazed around till dinner time. Thats when all the people with the aches were back to normal. The rain though was still coming down in torrents. But with so many people showing some enthusiasm, we decided to go get some nice spicy Indian food. After about an hour, with tummies full and hearts satisfied, we returned to our home sweet home. Talked a little and off we went to sleep and off to start another week....... hoping to have another fun weekend soon ! :)
Thanks for reading!! Enjoy!
We found the Fort Harrison State Park... just about 30 mins dricing distance from our place and it seemed like a place to be at some other time. With the cats and dogs coming down, we didnt feel like paying to get in and not getting out of the car at all. We moved through the express-way loop all around Indy. Checked out various Churches and museums on the way. We then went some way towards Cincinnati but didnt find something that caught our eyes. And finally after about 4 hours of exploration the two of us came back.
We then watched 'Romeo Must Die' on the TV and just lazed around till dinner time. Thats when all the people with the aches were back to normal. The rain though was still coming down in torrents. But with so many people showing some enthusiasm, we decided to go get some nice spicy Indian food. After about an hour, with tummies full and hearts satisfied, we returned to our home sweet home. Talked a little and off we went to sleep and off to start another week....... hoping to have another fun weekend soon ! :)
Thanks for reading!! Enjoy!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Tour de Indiana- Day 3
Saturday... the day we had decided to get off onto the I-65 express way and head towards the Brown County State Park... one of the largest in Indiana. Its close to Nashville near Bloomington and is really really cool ! We started at about 1 PM in the afternoon. Expecting a drive of about 2 hours to the BCSP. We were also hoping to get some good places on the way. Today we had quite a few people together... me n Poramet the duo from y'day and plus we had Amey, Bhavna, Megha and Nidhi (alphabetically listed). And surely was fun.
We had taken a frisbee and a ball to play. We got to a gas station to get some gas (obviously) (and no that wasnt a place to be :) ) But it was a good place to get some pictures done. Back on the way and I-65 wound along some really beautiful curves with greenery and farms on both sides of the road, with some nice smell coming in through the little opened windows. The weather was quite humid and hence we had to have the A/C on. As we were crossing Columbus, we saw some boards to Simmons Winery and Farm Market. Though none of us is a connoisseur of wines, it defintely is fascinating to visit a winery. We had a great experience at the Huber Winery during our trip to Mammoth Caves (another blog if interested).
Though Simmons Winery wasnt the same experience, it surely was a cute place. It had a lovely grape farm right on the side with juicy grapes hanging down and the lovely big leaves smelling really sweet in the sunny humidity. The Farm Market had some huge pumpkins on display and a lovely splash of colors with a huge array of flowers and plants for sale. The wine shop itself was not a big one though it did boast of a lot of Award winning wines in store with a pretty wide price range. The cellar, of which I was lucky to get a peek, was pretty huge compared to what was on display. Well, overall it was not an experience as Huber Winery where a (cute) guide had takes us along on a tour of the whole place and the infrastructure and the process of making wine and also how to taste wine and understand the difference in wines.
Anyways....after about an hour at the winery (and loads of pictures) we started off towards BCSP again. Wsnt too far from Columbus and we made it in about half an hour. We took some food along with us on the way.
Once at BCSP, we went straight off to the lake in there. Once we were out of the car, we were in for a welcome from a swarm of mosquitoes. But the green mountains and lake though dirty, the serenity and the tranquility of the place made us forget the mosquitoes after a bit. There was a trail of about 1.2 miles weaving its way all around the lake. We decided to munch on the food first. We spread a sheet over the green lawn and all the food we have on top of it. Lots of food, lots of pictures and lack of hunger marked this session of the day. Me and Amey played some frisbee along the gentle slope. Nidhi joined in in some time. Sure was fun. Sweated profusely but was awesome. We then set off on the trail. It was so awesome... with wooden brides and platforms marking the way. The lake looked real calm with the reflections of the trees surrounding it. The water was very still, suggesting a lot of depth in there.
With photos being taken by 3 cameras at various different spots and various different poses, it was a gala time. The darkness came in swiftly making the girls to get afraid and rush along the trail. But it sure was not something that should deter a moderately experienced hiker. The 1.2 Miles trail finally ended at the same spot where it started circling all around the lake. Most people were more than eager to get into the car n have some cool A/C air flowing onto their faces. It had become quite dark and with the trees and congested areas inside the park, it was real fun to drive on the curves and bends and slopes and check out the blackness of the dark by switching the car lights off. There was a yellowish fog settling down over the County as we drove out of the State Park - home bound. Miraculously, the drive home seemed far shorter and we were back home by 10:00 PM. We had a long discussion of what to do on the next day, but it was quite a tough one as most people weren't sure whether they would be able to and there was a storm brewing that cut out a lot of destinations. We left the decision for the next day, and I had a feeling we were going to get out on some other express way and check out somethings on the way. Adios till tomorrow, need some rest...
We had taken a frisbee and a ball to play. We got to a gas station to get some gas (obviously) (and no that wasnt a place to be :) ) But it was a good place to get some pictures done. Back on the way and I-65 wound along some really beautiful curves with greenery and farms on both sides of the road, with some nice smell coming in through the little opened windows. The weather was quite humid and hence we had to have the A/C on. As we were crossing Columbus, we saw some boards to Simmons Winery and Farm Market. Though none of us is a connoisseur of wines, it defintely is fascinating to visit a winery. We had a great experience at the Huber Winery during our trip to Mammoth Caves (another blog if interested).
Though Simmons Winery wasnt the same experience, it surely was a cute place. It had a lovely grape farm right on the side with juicy grapes hanging down and the lovely big leaves smelling really sweet in the sunny humidity. The Farm Market had some huge pumpkins on display and a lovely splash of colors with a huge array of flowers and plants for sale. The wine shop itself was not a big one though it did boast of a lot of Award winning wines in store with a pretty wide price range. The cellar, of which I was lucky to get a peek, was pretty huge compared to what was on display. Well, overall it was not an experience as Huber Winery where a (cute) guide had takes us along on a tour of the whole place and the infrastructure and the process of making wine and also how to taste wine and understand the difference in wines.
Anyways....after about an hour at the winery (and loads of pictures) we started off towards BCSP again. Wsnt too far from Columbus and we made it in about half an hour. We took some food along with us on the way.
Once at BCSP, we went straight off to the lake in there. Once we were out of the car, we were in for a welcome from a swarm of mosquitoes. But the green mountains and lake though dirty, the serenity and the tranquility of the place made us forget the mosquitoes after a bit. There was a trail of about 1.2 miles weaving its way all around the lake. We decided to munch on the food first. We spread a sheet over the green lawn and all the food we have on top of it. Lots of food, lots of pictures and lack of hunger marked this session of the day. Me and Amey played some frisbee along the gentle slope. Nidhi joined in in some time. Sure was fun. Sweated profusely but was awesome. We then set off on the trail. It was so awesome... with wooden brides and platforms marking the way. The lake looked real calm with the reflections of the trees surrounding it. The water was very still, suggesting a lot of depth in there.
With photos being taken by 3 cameras at various different spots and various different poses, it was a gala time. The darkness came in swiftly making the girls to get afraid and rush along the trail. But it sure was not something that should deter a moderately experienced hiker. The 1.2 Miles trail finally ended at the same spot where it started circling all around the lake. Most people were more than eager to get into the car n have some cool A/C air flowing onto their faces. It had become quite dark and with the trees and congested areas inside the park, it was real fun to drive on the curves and bends and slopes and check out the blackness of the dark by switching the car lights off. There was a yellowish fog settling down over the County as we drove out of the State Park - home bound. Miraculously, the drive home seemed far shorter and we were back home by 10:00 PM. We had a long discussion of what to do on the next day, but it was quite a tough one as most people weren't sure whether they would be able to and there was a storm brewing that cut out a lot of destinations. We left the decision for the next day, and I had a feeling we were going to get out on some other express way and check out somethings on the way. Adios till tomorrow, need some rest...
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Tour de Indiana- Day 2
As we started off towards CHL, the heaviest rain of the day started pouring. It was a drive to enjoy and both me and Poramet were defintely having a good time with the nice green farms glistening in the rain. There was a railway track parallel to the road and when a train did go across it, it was a moment to be captured in a frame. Poramets camera was coming in handy with lots of other scenic views coming along the way.
The road-trip was a short but interesting one, the reason being that it was completely dynamic and we had to keep a sharp lookout of where we are going and that we dont miss out on the right intersections and go the wrong way. US-36 was the next road to take and we were looking out for a place called Fincastle after which the intersection was to come. Now, the map we had referred indicated Fincastle to be quite a big town. But it was quite the opposite with the place not being more than just a bunch of houses on either side of the road and most importantly the board saying 'Fincastle' ! We soon got the US-36 we wanted and sticking to it got us to the Lake. It was a state-owned recreation area and we had to pay $4.00 to get in. But it surely was worth each penny.
With an artificial beach, lots of docks with ships anchored and ofcourse some lovely greenery. The lake was one of the most beautiful ones I have seen and there was a peninsula that I wish I could take everyone to for a visit. It had one of the most scenic views of the lake with a dam to the left and the sunset right ahead. It was gorgeous ! Oh! I forgot to tell you that just as we entered the lake area, the rain had gone.. dont know where, and there was this nice bright sunshine making it really really beautiful out there. The air had got nice and cool with the rain and sunlight adding just the right amount of light to the atmosphere to make it a perfect place to be at the perfect time!
After roaming around the complete area inside and checking out all the stuff listed on the map we had taken at the entry point, we decided to get back to Indianapolis and plan where to go the next day. With Saturday and Sunday coming on, it was important to check out a good place to go with the right weather to be there. The drive back was nice too, a bit longer than what we expected but was quite scenic. The one place that stood out of all that came across was Dansville. It was this one cute town with these cute houses and buildings. Driving through Avon, for me was one of the most boring part of the drive with the traffic moving at a really slow pace. But all and all, it was a wonderful day. We had quite a few maps along with us and we decided to refer them to search the place to visit on the next days. After quite a lot of search... the decision was... drive down I-65 South and take a look at all the things that come across and we feel interesting. The next day also was going to see some Thunder Storms at the northern part of the state and so the decision to go South... Next days descriptions.... next blog....
The road-trip was a short but interesting one, the reason being that it was completely dynamic and we had to keep a sharp lookout of where we are going and that we dont miss out on the right intersections and go the wrong way. US-36 was the next road to take and we were looking out for a place called Fincastle after which the intersection was to come. Now, the map we had referred indicated Fincastle to be quite a big town. But it was quite the opposite with the place not being more than just a bunch of houses on either side of the road and most importantly the board saying 'Fincastle' ! We soon got the US-36 we wanted and sticking to it got us to the Lake. It was a state-owned recreation area and we had to pay $4.00 to get in. But it surely was worth each penny.
With an artificial beach, lots of docks with ships anchored and ofcourse some lovely greenery. The lake was one of the most beautiful ones I have seen and there was a peninsula that I wish I could take everyone to for a visit. It had one of the most scenic views of the lake with a dam to the left and the sunset right ahead. It was gorgeous ! Oh! I forgot to tell you that just as we entered the lake area, the rain had gone.. dont know where, and there was this nice bright sunshine making it really really beautiful out there. The air had got nice and cool with the rain and sunlight adding just the right amount of light to the atmosphere to make it a perfect place to be at the perfect time!
After roaming around the complete area inside and checking out all the stuff listed on the map we had taken at the entry point, we decided to get back to Indianapolis and plan where to go the next day. With Saturday and Sunday coming on, it was important to check out a good place to go with the right weather to be there. The drive back was nice too, a bit longer than what we expected but was quite scenic. The one place that stood out of all that came across was Dansville. It was this one cute town with these cute houses and buildings. Driving through Avon, for me was one of the most boring part of the drive with the traffic moving at a really slow pace. But all and all, it was a wonderful day. We had quite a few maps along with us and we decided to refer them to search the place to visit on the next days. After quite a lot of search... the decision was... drive down I-65 South and take a look at all the things that come across and we feel interesting. The next day also was going to see some Thunder Storms at the northern part of the state and so the decision to go South... Next days descriptions.... next blog....
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Tour de Indiana- Day 1 [contd.]
We reached Purdue just in time for our test which I dont think went was so nice for me. No.. am not going to talk about the test here :). Once we were done with the test... we decided to check out some spots at the campus.
Overall, it was a nice place with a LOT of students seen all around with iPods or some other music players with the buds in their ears hurrying for their classes, or thinking of what they just went through in the last class they attended. We had a small map of the campus that we refered to and saw whatever looked worth seeing on the map. Finally we got a nice map of the near by places and we debated about where we could go next. The competition was on between : Indiana beaches... Indiana dunes....Chicago. All were about 2 hr driving distance away ( 4 hrs back to home from there). Chicago was instantly disqualified as it wasnt in Indiana. And as the debate started to come to life, we had a winner... Cecil Harden Lake... closer to where we were.
It looked like a small lake nestling in a green area and it was finalized instantly. The rain now coming down in a steady drizzle and threatening to pour anytime made it even more interesting to be at the lake, looking at the boats bobbing up and down with the wind and waves, and thoughts of munching on a sandwhich and sipping some hot coffee while watching it, made the idea even more inviting. We had to leave immediately ...
Overall, it was a nice place with a LOT of students seen all around with iPods or some other music players with the buds in their ears hurrying for their classes, or thinking of what they just went through in the last class they attended. We had a small map of the campus that we refered to and saw whatever looked worth seeing on the map. Finally we got a nice map of the near by places and we debated about where we could go next. The competition was on between : Indiana beaches... Indiana dunes....Chicago. All were about 2 hr driving distance away ( 4 hrs back to home from there). Chicago was instantly disqualified as it wasnt in Indiana. And as the debate started to come to life, we had a winner... Cecil Harden Lake... closer to where we were.
It looked like a small lake nestling in a green area and it was finalized instantly. The rain now coming down in a steady drizzle and threatening to pour anytime made it even more interesting to be at the lake, looking at the boats bobbing up and down with the wind and waves, and thoughts of munching on a sandwhich and sipping some hot coffee while watching it, made the idea even more inviting. We had to leave immediately ...
Tour de Indiana- Day 1
23rd Sept 2005 - was a Friday... with a gloomy overcast sky, weather forecasts speaking of thunder storms over the weekend, the early morning traffic in full rush with people trying to reach their workplace in time and the University Campus right across the street from my window with little signs of students at the early hour. In a nutshell... Was just like most other Fridays.
But I had something different in mind... ' Tour de Indiana ' .... a trip to explore various places in the State that I am staying in and visiting atleast all the interesting place in the vicinity over the weekend. With car rental reservation already done, all that was left was gathering all the people and heading off.... first to West Lafayette where me and Poramet (friend) had a test to give and then move on with the plan. Initially there were about 4-5 people more, but unfortunately with something or the other poking its dirty head in their routine, it was just me and Poramet left on the trip. We didnt take the loss of our companions to heart and decided to complete our mission - Tour de Indiana.
Off we went at 8.30 AM, equipped with just 1 digital camera (no backup batteries) and a fabulous Chevy Cobalt as our ride... off towards our goal, which we werent yet clear of, driving towards West Lafayette for the test with the sky threatening us with thunder storms later, and some showers in the 1 hr drive ahead. The wind gushing through our hair, warning us that this is just 4 miles per hour and it can come down at much much much more. But the decision was made... as strong as it could be, and if all this talk had to affect our decision - only strengthened it....... next stop West Lafayette.... Purdue University
But I had something different in mind... ' Tour de Indiana ' .... a trip to explore various places in the State that I am staying in and visiting atleast all the interesting place in the vicinity over the weekend. With car rental reservation already done, all that was left was gathering all the people and heading off.... first to West Lafayette where me and Poramet (friend) had a test to give and then move on with the plan. Initially there were about 4-5 people more, but unfortunately with something or the other poking its dirty head in their routine, it was just me and Poramet left on the trip. We didnt take the loss of our companions to heart and decided to complete our mission - Tour de Indiana.
Off we went at 8.30 AM, equipped with just 1 digital camera (no backup batteries) and a fabulous Chevy Cobalt as our ride... off towards our goal, which we werent yet clear of, driving towards West Lafayette for the test with the sky threatening us with thunder storms later, and some showers in the 1 hr drive ahead. The wind gushing through our hair, warning us that this is just 4 miles per hour and it can come down at much much much more. But the decision was made... as strong as it could be, and if all this talk had to affect our decision - only strengthened it....... next stop West Lafayette.... Purdue University
Sunday, July 3, 2005
Mammoth Caves Trip - Day 4
Day 3... for me the BEST day of the trip and I feel for the others too. It was a complete dynamic day with plans made on the fly and me driving through more awesomely scenic routes. We started off by 9.30 from the camp. Food frst ! And off we started towards the Louisville Hindu temple. Made it without any problems. Was peaceful and calm and like any other hindu temple you can have out here.
Once that was done, we decided to move on to Spring Mill park. On the way we came across a board sayin Huber Winery.. and thats where we went. Lotsa knowledge on the wine side now :) hehe. Right from how they pick the fruit and convert it into wine from knowing how to judge wine. The Springlmill plan was dumped and a new plan was made.... Indiana University at Bloomington!!! It was worth all the driving and gas, because the campus was really beautiful. We had some Thai food at the restaurant there and we all liked the food quite a lot. With darkness starting to creep in, we decided to get back home.
It was a really great drive back in the dark just like the drive to Mammoth cave the first day. The only thing that made it more adventurous was the fact that we didnt have any printed directions but just our instincts and sense of direction. And boy we were right :) . As I am here and am writing this blog. Well, it was great to be on this awesome awesome trip and I hope I made it sound like that. Well... planning a trip after my internship gets over... catch ya later... and dont miss the pictures!!
Once that was done, we decided to move on to Spring Mill park. On the way we came across a board sayin Huber Winery.. and thats where we went. Lotsa knowledge on the wine side now :) hehe. Right from how they pick the fruit and convert it into wine from knowing how to judge wine. The Springlmill plan was dumped and a new plan was made.... Indiana University at Bloomington!!! It was worth all the driving and gas, because the campus was really beautiful. We had some Thai food at the restaurant there and we all liked the food quite a lot. With darkness starting to creep in, we decided to get back home.
It was a really great drive back in the dark just like the drive to Mammoth cave the first day. The only thing that made it more adventurous was the fact that we didnt have any printed directions but just our instincts and sense of direction. And boy we were right :) . As I am here and am writing this blog. Well, it was great to be on this awesome awesome trip and I hope I made it sound like that. Well... planning a trip after my internship gets over... catch ya later... and dont miss the pictures!!
Mammoth Caves Trip - Day 3
Well, with the cave tours done, we went back to the camp grounds and put up the tent Pooja had got along. We had quite a beautiful camping ground with a small little bench in between and a fire place just besides and lots of huge trees and ofcourse grass. The tent took us some thinking but we did get it up nice and fine. We still had to think of an arrangement for all of us to have something below us to sleep on, as surely the girls were going to get the tent. Wasnt a problem with Amey getting his own sleeping bag, Poramet getting mine and me getting a rug and a sheet to top off. Once the tent was up, we went off to get some food. We decided to have a fire at our camp and so we had the food take 'home' (?). In between all this I dont (still dont) know what happened, but Megha was a shade off mood and etc.
Anyways... I started collecting firewood all around our camp ground but didnt get much. Pooja too 'chipped' in to help... and as we were to give up we found a huge pile of firewood nicely chopped and stored near the restroom area. With a little discussion about whether we should be paying for it or not, we picked up a couple of pieces (unquestioningly) free. Pooja had also got some fire starting fuel that helped a lot. The fire started and all of us guys had a nice time around it. I told a little ghost story which was very helpful to scare the s**t out of the people the way home. At about 10.30 the gals were pretty tired with all the walking all the day and they got into their tent. We guys went off to the foosball table and spent about 2 hours there. It was really fun.
It was time to get into whatever we were sleeping in after that. It was AWESOME to sleep with the stars all around and nice cool wind blowing across. We just dozed off gazing at the stars.... and it surely was a great sleep... for the next day.
Anyways... I started collecting firewood all around our camp ground but didnt get much. Pooja too 'chipped' in to help... and as we were to give up we found a huge pile of firewood nicely chopped and stored near the restroom area. With a little discussion about whether we should be paying for it or not, we picked up a couple of pieces (unquestioningly) free. Pooja had also got some fire starting fuel that helped a lot. The fire started and all of us guys had a nice time around it. I told a little ghost story which was very helpful to scare the s**t out of the people the way home. At about 10.30 the gals were pretty tired with all the walking all the day and they got into their tent. We guys went off to the foosball table and spent about 2 hours there. It was really fun.
It was time to get into whatever we were sleeping in after that. It was AWESOME to sleep with the stars all around and nice cool wind blowing across. We just dozed off gazing at the stars.... and it surely was a great sleep... for the next day.
Saturday, July 2, 2005
Mammoth Caves Trip - Day 2
Saturday dawned ... and we just yawned and finally woke up at 7 AM. We were supposed to book our cave tours which started to sell out by 8AM. After a brush and a couple of donuts I accompanied Amey and Poramet to the ticket centre where we gathered some information about the tours and activites at Mammoth caves from the (cute looking) receptionist. As we had thought, most of the tours were sold out (with people booking them as early as 2 weeks before!! ) But we were lucky enought to get tickets to the 2 best and longest tours - Historic tour and Frozen Niagra.
The first tour (Historic) was about an hour later and so the other 4 guys decided to get some chow. I decided otherwise as I had heard there arent any restrooms in the caves. (no risks is the name of the game).
At 9.15 we began our descent into the cave guided by one Forest Ranger .. a tall well built guy having really good way of telling all the stories he had and making them sound interesting (some of which now i think are so foolish). But it was great to listen to them at that time in that atmosphere. We had a group of about 40-50 people in our tour batch. The tour lasted for about 2 hours in which we went approx 280 feet underground in a cool temperature of 54F (~18C). Our guide was a man with tremendous stock of stories and humor and was pretty knowledgable about the geological processes going on around inside the caves. We left the cave at 11.15 with loads of pictures and videos and complete awe of nature and its prowess to create something so beautiful with just water. (and ofcourse awe about the stories)
The next tour was at 3.15 and we decided to use the 4 hour break in between to make some arrangements for our stay for that night. The cottages were all full. We all were all interested in camping and Pooja had also got her tent along. So off we went to search camping places. Unfortunately for us, all the camping grounds inside the national park were booked too. But we found a camping ground about 5 miles away from the park being run by a grandpa n grandma. They also had a small room on the side with a Foose-ball table inside. Had awesome time with it later. That taks completed, off we went to get some food into cave city a small town about 10 miles from the park.
We reached the park at 2.30 and enquired about tours of the national park itself. Thats where we met a guy called Joe... he was very very sweet and knowledgable about tourist parks and scenic beauty around the country and he gave us a huge big list of various places we would like to visit if we into hiking ( i sure am). We had to cut his suggestions short as our tour was on its way. We had another stupendous cave trip with an attractive Forest Ranger named April accompanied by her equally attractive assistant Beatrice. The stalactites and stalagmites in this cave are really breath-taking. The cave being the longest cave in the world, 'looked' the best in the dark. Our guides switched off the lights to leave us in complete pitch black darkness. Boy! We could not even see our own fingers !!! More to come.... tomorrow
The first tour (Historic) was about an hour later and so the other 4 guys decided to get some chow. I decided otherwise as I had heard there arent any restrooms in the caves. (no risks is the name of the game).
At 9.15 we began our descent into the cave guided by one Forest Ranger .. a tall well built guy having really good way of telling all the stories he had and making them sound interesting (some of which now i think are so foolish). But it was great to listen to them at that time in that atmosphere. We had a group of about 40-50 people in our tour batch. The tour lasted for about 2 hours in which we went approx 280 feet underground in a cool temperature of 54F (~18C). Our guide was a man with tremendous stock of stories and humor and was pretty knowledgable about the geological processes going on around inside the caves. We left the cave at 11.15 with loads of pictures and videos and complete awe of nature and its prowess to create something so beautiful with just water. (and ofcourse awe about the stories)
The next tour was at 3.15 and we decided to use the 4 hour break in between to make some arrangements for our stay for that night. The cottages were all full. We all were all interested in camping and Pooja had also got her tent along. So off we went to search camping places. Unfortunately for us, all the camping grounds inside the national park were booked too. But we found a camping ground about 5 miles away from the park being run by a grandpa n grandma. They also had a small room on the side with a Foose-ball table inside. Had awesome time with it later. That taks completed, off we went to get some food into cave city a small town about 10 miles from the park.
We reached the park at 2.30 and enquired about tours of the national park itself. Thats where we met a guy called Joe... he was very very sweet and knowledgable about tourist parks and scenic beauty around the country and he gave us a huge big list of various places we would like to visit if we into hiking ( i sure am). We had to cut his suggestions short as our tour was on its way. We had another stupendous cave trip with an attractive Forest Ranger named April accompanied by her equally attractive assistant Beatrice. The stalactites and stalagmites in this cave are really breath-taking. The cave being the longest cave in the world, 'looked' the best in the dark. Our guides switched off the lights to leave us in complete pitch black darkness. Boy! We could not even see our own fingers !!! More to come.... tomorrow
Friday, July 1, 2005
Mammoth Caves Trip - Day 1
It was the weekend with the 4th July holiday falling on Monday and we guys werent in a mood to let this chance slip away. So, we rented a car (Ford Focus) and off we went to Mammoth Caves in the state of Kentucky. It is about 3 hours 30 mins driving distance according to the directions that we got online but made it in much better time (thanks to me). There was just a wee bit of confusion at the end about the road which was solved with a call at the cottages we had booked for the night.
We left from Indianapolis (where I study, in case u didnt know) at about 6 pm and were at the cottage by 10 after an actual drive of about 2.45 hours with just one stop at Burger King and Speedway (when we feared our car was punctured :)) ). The drive was too sweet and I was lucky to be the only driver and have the wheel in my hands and experience one of the most enthralling drives through scenic ghats which turned from green to red as the sun set, and an eerie black after that... The road was a two lane road with pitch blackness and winding as much as it could and the speed limit was understandably 35MPH. It was awesome to switch off the light in between to understand what 'darkness' really is... but well we had a much better thing coming up on the next day for this. With checkin formalities done, we went off, pretty tired from the day and the drive (?) to our cottage.
It was a sweet little wooden cabin with 2 bedrooms. Oh yeah... it was 5 of us ... Amey, Megha, Poramet, Pooja and Tanmay (me) in alphabetic order. WIth 2 girls in the group a separate bedroom was necessarily essential (i dunno why, but i like that term necessarily essential) Anyways... so after getting in and praising the cottage and taking in the wooden smell of it and exploring every nook n corner, we finally sat down talking and playing a couple of games of cards (UNO). The cottage was inside the National park around the caves and so we had some deers roaming around just outside our 'abode'. After having some chats and talks we decided to retire for the day, as we had to wake up early the next day and book tickets to all the possible cave tours. Little did we know that there were scores of people thinking of the same thing and already in their snores.....
We left from Indianapolis (where I study, in case u didnt know) at about 6 pm and were at the cottage by 10 after an actual drive of about 2.45 hours with just one stop at Burger King and Speedway (when we feared our car was punctured :)) ). The drive was too sweet and I was lucky to be the only driver and have the wheel in my hands and experience one of the most enthralling drives through scenic ghats which turned from green to red as the sun set, and an eerie black after that... The road was a two lane road with pitch blackness and winding as much as it could and the speed limit was understandably 35MPH. It was awesome to switch off the light in between to understand what 'darkness' really is... but well we had a much better thing coming up on the next day for this. With checkin formalities done, we went off, pretty tired from the day and the drive (?) to our cottage.
It was a sweet little wooden cabin with 2 bedrooms. Oh yeah... it was 5 of us ... Amey, Megha, Poramet, Pooja and Tanmay (me) in alphabetic order. WIth 2 girls in the group a separate bedroom was necessarily essential (i dunno why, but i like that term necessarily essential) Anyways... so after getting in and praising the cottage and taking in the wooden smell of it and exploring every nook n corner, we finally sat down talking and playing a couple of games of cards (UNO). The cottage was inside the National park around the caves and so we had some deers roaming around just outside our 'abode'. After having some chats and talks we decided to retire for the day, as we had to wake up early the next day and book tickets to all the possible cave tours. Little did we know that there were scores of people thinking of the same thing and already in their snores.....
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