2008-09-06, Ernakulam to Kozhikode

Train from Aluva, 01:50

Aluva station was quite desolate except for few other people waiting for the same train. Being Onam, I figured that the train would be quite full. 1.5 hours behind schedule, when it finally pulled into Aluva station, I realized I might not get to sit till Kozhikode.

When the train pulled in, the formerly desolate Aluva station sprang to fervent life, with people running from one compartment to the next of the 15 car train, trying to procure a seat. I didn't wait much I hopped on to the AC compartment, hoping someone would have left me a berth; no such luck. After being yelled at by the TTR for trawling throughout the AC section, I settled in at the feet of the AC car attendant - sitting on the bed he was sleeping on. I tucked my bags under this makeshift plank of a bed, and prepared for a long, sleepy journey to Kozhikode.

Just after Shornur, the TTR saw me sit-standing at the foot of the attendants bed and dozing, and decided to help me out. He issued me the berth of a guy that just got out, and thus, I made my other half journey to Kozhikode in great comfort.

I got to Kozhikode just past dawn, about an hour late. But then, time wasn't as critical to me as meeting my cousins, aunt and uncle. After spending some time with them and sharing an Onam lunch, I was on my way again, to the train station to go home to Vijee Farms.

Ernakulam

The trip from Kochi airport to Ernakulam went by in a state of deep sleep in the back of a taxi. The only thing I remember is that the trip took some time. I remember waking up a couple of times and looking at my dilapidated watch, wondering why the numbers still stayed the same.

My stay at my Aunt's house was really short. Just enough time for dinner and a shower. The only thing I did besides talk to her and pick up some stuff was look for the timing of the next train out of there.

Except for the two taxis that shuttled me to and from my aunt's house, I really didn't interact enough with Ernakulam to tap into its uniqueness. On the way to Aluva train station by taxi from my aunt's house, there was a pretty major incident. I am still debating about whether I want to write up about it here or on my other blog. It involves an accident out of which I helped free a man. I'm actually wondering if I should write about it at all.

A stranger's blood on my hands, I bought a ticket and waited on Platform 3 of Aluva station to catch my train to Kozhikode.

2008-09-05, Chennai to Kochi

2008-09-05 14:05, Paramount Airlines I7-435, MAA - COK

This is a very surprising entry. I bought a ticket to Kochi on Paramount airlines, because it was the lowest fare among all other airlines, and was the only airline to have direct flights at the time I required. My ticket was bought at their ticketing counter at Chennai airport. As I wheeled my bag inside the airport, I couldn't help but notice the tiny little shack that served as the check-in counter for this airline. I went to the counter, checked my bag and got my boarding card. 10 seconds later, I was shocked to see that the person taking my bag had to manually cart it over to their processing station - not even a conveyor belt. I was beginning to think the plane would be pushed off the parking spot by a handful of people as well.

That's when it hit me. I had actually checked in at a convenience kiosk of Paramount Airlines. One of three such kiosks scattered around the terminal, in addition to a fully functional check-in desk - with a baggage conveyor. Tucked behind my boarding card was a coupon for refreshments at the waiting area - the employee of the Coffee Day kiosk who redeemed my coupon for me apologized to me because the Paramount Airlines lounge wasn't ready to be opened after renovations.

The flight was on time, and the time from push-off to take-off was probably 7 minutes - a far cry from the 25 minutes at Dubai and 40 minutes at Amsterdam. Once airborne, I was treated to some Masala Sharbat (good old Indian Lemonade) - in a real glass. Meal service on the 1.5 hour flight started with a crew member opening the tray table and laying a table cloth over it, followed by a real cloth napkin. After a wonderful meal service with real cutlery and crockery (including warm soup), we were ready to descend.

Quick pass through Kochi airport, and I was on my way to my aunt's house. The speed through each airport was commendable. The underdog airline was memorable, and the weather in Kerala was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

Chennai

Chennai is India's metro on the south of the peninsula. I've been traveling a bit now, and am a little less receptive to the subtleties of a place. Basically what I feel in Chennai is a faint familiarity. I've grown up around Tamilians, and know them to be warm and courteous people. The minute you step into Chennai, the power of cinema becomes immediately apparent. Tamilians are known to idolize their movie stars, and banners, posters and hoardings of these deities can be found all over Chennai. Auto rickshaws sport blaring music, next to the bicyclist pedalling around with a tape recorder taped to his handlebars. In addition to the film culture, Chennai is also a city that respects women. Women, like any place on Earth are sought after, but in Chennai, they seem to be less objectified.

When I came through Chennai airport, I was so tired, I hardly noticed it. Now that I think of it, that is probably a good thing. The airport wasn't built to be memorable - just a place to make transit easier. There were no complaints and no hassles encountered, and that I think makes the airport pretty good in my dictionary.

My trip to Chennai was because of a visit I needed to make to the American consulate. Even that seemed to go by without much thought on my part. I seem to remember being more anxious the first time I went there. Maybe with the passing of time, I take things more and more for granted. Maybe the only definite upside of the business at the consulate was that while I was waiting in line, I met a friend I had known since school.

Having completed my business in Chennai, it was time to move on.

2008-09-04, Delhi to Chennai

2008-09-04 19:15, JetLite S2251, DEL - MAA

This is a very weird flight to step into. Nothing about the airline, but when you prepare for this journey, you realize that you are traveling from the heart of North India to one of the far reaches of South India. The culture shock you can expect to experience trumps travelling between countries.

Delhi's domestic airport terminal, like most other Indian airports is better than its international counterpart. Facilities are well laid out and there is ample space and sitting area. There is no artificial sense of awe being instilled into the passenger. The reason a person has visited this building is to board an airplane, and this building does not try to convince the person otherwise.

The flight to Chennai was uneventful. Having fallen asleep slightly before takeoff, I missed most of the time spent inside the airplane. The crew was courteous and the aircraft was in good condition.

Chennai airport was a blur. I just wanted to fall asleep by this time, and that is what I did. 

Nothing more I can add.

Delhi

Delhi is the political capital of India, and this is my first time in it. My first thought when i stepped into the airport was, "Wow, is this it?". Somehow, for the capital of India where every other person is a VIP, I expected more opulence. Or maybe, I expected a little Dubai from the airport. But I liked it. The airport experience was simple and straightforward. There was no hassle of finding your way around or of wandering through unnecessary corporate advertisement. The building had a job, and it executed it with muted efficiency.

The first whiff of Delhi air was an incredibly humid and warm breath. And with that one breath, I understood why every western literary work refers to India as the hot humid place with snakes and tigers as company for evening walks. This air was very different from the cool crisp and clean air I am used to from Agumbe and Someshwar, but there was something definitely Indian about that first whiff, and that alone welcomed me home. My nostalgic moment was cut short when someone behind me on the flight stairs urged me to get a move on and get into the bus waiting to shuttle us from the the flight into the terminal. Obviously, someone else didn't like my memories blocking his way home.

Well that is India, and it is so evident in the queues that we form - there aren't any. Traffic lanes are a mere suggestion for the feeble drivers and a show and tell piece to convince foreigners. I love it.

I was picked up at the airport by my mother and my uncle and driven to this immense hotel in the midst of diplomatic Delhi (Chanakyapuri). Hotel Ashok is an over priced over indulgent 5 star establishment run by the Indian government, but it is the embodiment of Indian hospitality. Around every corner, there is someone to greet and welcome you into a cocoon of comfort.

The people of Delhi all look serious. More than that, they all have a sense of self importance. There is a feeling of pride that sweeps through the populace by just being in the Nation's capital city. But then, they are also friendly and polite people. While in Mumbai the people are more in your face, over here, everyone goes through a routine set of niceties before they engage in conversation. It all seems so quaint.

This is a city full of vehicles with diplomatic license plates; where ambulances and fire trucks have a hard time making their way, while VIPs in their stately Ambassadors get through with no problem. You can't really sight see in Delhi - you can only feel it.

Delhi is definitely a cosmopolitan city. Maybe less than Mumbai, but the city exudes an air of regal bearing, full of kitty parties and cocktail gatherings. While many Indian cities are dominated by the present, Delhi holds on to the past, savoring every bit of it like an aromatic tea. Sip by sip, the city convinces you that you are in an important place, and the crests and troughs of life must make way for the rich history of the city. Oh Wait - that's just the 17th VIP vehicle with its revolving red "make way" light.

2008-08-24, Dubai to Delhi

2008-08-24 22:20, Emirates EK512, DXB - DEL

This is where my positive feeling for an Emirates flight turns into an almost negative feeling.

Anyone traveling by an Emirates flight will tell you - you are constantly bombarded with advertising for Dubai, and are trapped in the never ending loop of commercial promotion. On a short enough flight like this, a large percentage of the flight is just bombardment, while I would have preferred peace and quiet.

Nevertheless, apart from the mental toll after a long journey, the physical comforts of the flights were splendid, and the food was delicious. I spent my time listening to my ipod and writing gibberish.

2008-08-24, Dubai International Airport

Dubai airport is a case study of architectural excess. It does what it is meant to - conveys the users of the airport a feeling of richness and magnificence. Well, all this is lost on me. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the feeling of awe that I am supposed to feel, and I also do not think that function is sacrificed for form in this airport, it just feels like, well - too much.

There is no need for the opulence in the decoration of this passenger hub, but somehow it feels well in place. My felling about this airport then is mixed - its a great airport, but shifts priorities away from the travel and onto the airport. Somehow, I cannot appreciate that. In addition to that, this airport is huge. I typically am awed by big airports and their logistics, but don't usually enjoy using them except if my journey itself is a long one.

Being at the tail end of an intercontinental flight then, I felt strangely acclimatised to the existence of this airport.

Though I was flying on a connecting flight, I chose to go through immigration in order to get my 6 moth residence visa stamp. When outside, I met my cousin and had some tea and talk before I submitted myself to the underbelly of the behemoth airport. I spent some time shopping at the duty free shops for alcohol and chocolates, and after that, quietly made my way to the next flight to Delhi.

2008-08-23, Houston to Dubai

2008-08-23 18:50, Emirates EK-212, IAH - DXB

Emirates as is the case most of the times, was on time for departure and with the assistance of some tail winds was quicker to reach Dubai as well. Being a long haul flight (14 hours), the crew was really friendly and I was even allowed to sit on one of the crew jump seats to finish up some project work for my independent study class.

The food in this flight is what I look forward to most. At the very least, you get fed - but the icing on the cake is the fact that the food is almost always flavoured in an Indian style, making it tasty on the palette, and brings back your appetite.

Another plus is the entertainment system - it is truly one of the best. So many movies, TV shows, Games and entertainment that you forget about how you can finish watching all of it before you land, and start thinking of which ones you want to watch. Well, thats what I did. I spent my first 15 minutes looking at what was available, and singling out prospective entertainers.

After about 4 hours into the flight I was bored with the movies and decided to catch some sleep. An hour later, I just went to the galley and started chatting it up with the crew. I asked them questions about the technical abilities of the flight. After my thirst for knowledge was satisfied, I just started talking. Anyone who knows me knows - I can converse for a while.

After about the 8th hour into the flight I was feeling glazed over, and any feelings were just imperceptible.

All in all, a very normal flight, with as much bodily comforts as an economy cabin could offer on a long haul flight.

2008-08-23, Houston International Airport

George Bush Airport at Houston (IAH) is a pretty interesting airport. Apart from the standard American layout of the place, things to be noted are its size and facilities. It seems like the airport is spread over a large area. I do not know this for sure, but it sure felt like it while I was shuttling from one terminal to catch my plane at the next. Due to the labyrinth like passageways and escalators I had to use to get from my arrival gate to the departure gate, I feel that the signage and the connection between terminal buildings could have been better; it seems like the walkway through the buildings almost seems like an afterthought.

To those who ask directions without fear however, this airport is filled with courteous and friendly staff, who if they don't have an answer for you, will run off to find someone who does. The facilities in the airport are very good, though not excellent. There isn't much shopping variety, but there are a lot of places to eat - in addition to the usual McD's, Burger King etc, you find some restaurant chains spread around the airport.

The DHS office for outgoing registrants is almost always locked unless someone is needed there. Almost no one who works around the area has claimed to have seen anyone at the office. The trick is to use the courtesy phone installed next to the doors of the satellite office and follow instructions to get someone to help you out. While I was waiting for someone to answer the phone, I treated myself to a burger from the nearby "Ruby's" restaurant. The staff there was extra helpful, and watched over my stuff while I jumped over the railing to go register my exit.

All in all, a nice place to wait for a flight if you are hungry or thirsty, but not such a great place for duty free shopping or for bathrooms that are close to the departure gates.

2008-08-23, Milwaukee to Houston

2008-08-23 14:05, Continental Airlines Flight # 547, ORD - IAH.

Knowing I would have to make a lighting trip to India, I bought a ticket and flew to India the same day. After catching breakfast with friends, I missed the bus to O'Hare airport (ORD). Noone really runs out of resources ever, so I was dropped off at the airport. After a quick pass through the check in counter and security, I was soon waiting at the gate to board the flight. About 10 minutes later, I was in line to board the craft.

The Flight was uneventful to say the least and well, was downright boring. Just some fake air hostesses and a mildly turbulent flight over fields and swamps. The only souvenir to take back was a packet of pretzel sticks.

2008-08-18, Minneapolis, WI to Milwaukee

1997 Mazda 626

The drive from Minneapolis to Milwaukee for the most part is on one single freeway the entire route. This makes the trip little more than boring. Along the way, there is a lot of wooded area and farmlands. On the freeway, you feel like you are in a concrete conveyor belt, surgically removed from the contours of the land and the complexity of the ecosystem you are driving through.

A few stops for fuel and food along the way - nothing more to report here.

2008-08-17 - 2008-08-18, Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis is a strange place, and I am not referring to the friend I was visiting. The place has big buildings and a commercially active downtown; however, you always have the feeling that the city's deserted. Traffic is light and pedestrians are almost non-existent. Its almost as if the space of a metropolis only has the population of a farming village.

Apart from this detail, Minneapolis is a beautiful city with a decent skyline. Nightlife in downtown is almost full of gay bars but there is a lot of dining options in downtown. Like many cities in the US now, the heart of the population has moved away from the downtown area into satellite cities and suburbs.

St. Paul - its sister city on the other hand seems to have retained a little historical charm along with some greenery and nature trails to more than make up Minneapolis's apparent desolation. St. Paul seems like it is bustling with people - a great feeling when you go into a city.

2008-08-16 Foxboro, WI to Minneapolis, MN

1997 Mazda 626

Foxboro is a place that can be described by the phrase "Tucked Away". It is away from any major interstate system but has one state highway going through it. Being new to the place at night, and due to the fact that I didn't study the area on a map before getting there, I was wondering to myself how the trip to Minneapolis would fare. In any case, iPod and a Rand McNally atlas in hand, we set forth to traverse the myriad roads connecting the two places.

Distances and directions interact differently with you under the cloak of darkness. and it was interesting to travel under these conditions with a time constraint. We were keeping a friend waiting to play host, which is why we had to hurry. My initial time estimates went out of the window when every new road that we turned into had a lower speed limit. We stopped once for gas and spotted a few deer waiting to cross the road.

Things got interesting when we encountered a closed road, and had to take a diversion. The rest of the night was spent poring over the atlas and trying to align our route with where we wanted to go. Though we were thoroughly lost at this point, the roads we traveled took us through some beautiful winding roads that followed the Mississippi river by its Minnesota banks.

After some beautiful roads, we finally got onto the freeway, where I just planted my foot down to pass through the concrete jungle as quick as we could.

We made it through to Minneapolis well past midnight, but not too tired to stay awake another two hours chatting with my friend.

2008-08-16 Foxboro, WI

1997 Mazda 626

The reason we were traveling to Foxboro was to attend a friend's wedding. The singular thought throughout the trip was - "We're LATE". And indeed we were; so much that we decided to forgo the church ceremony and head straight for the reception.

No stops were really planned except for a brief appearance at a Madison mall to buy a gift and a card. Most of the way, my speed was far in excess of the posted speed limits. I can be sure that this trip was probably the most fuel wasting trip I have undertaken in this car. I don't own a radar detector to keep myself safe from the police, so I had to resort to ingenuity and some observant driving. I sped up to each hill, but never over the crest. Once I passed the crest of the hill, i would reassess the landscape ahead for potential speed traps before planting my foot down again. I would ease off the pedal each time I came up to a wooded section with a service road between the opposing lanes of the freeway - a common speed trap location. I would look for packs of vehicles behind whom I could speed without detection. I would scan my mirrors for the faintest outline of a police vehicle. All these measures and the whole process of judging everyone else's speed to use as a clue for a potential speed trap were draining on me, but we got there pretty quick.

In spite of this spirited driving, I am happy that along the whole trip, except for the speed limit suggestions, I hadn't broken any other laws, and this day, people were really courteous on the roads. I always had a free passing lane when I needed one.

Since we didn't dress for the wedding from home, we stopped at a gas station in Eau Clare, WI to change into formals. Though it was a preoccupied trip, it wasn't boring, thanks to the iPod.

Had fun at the wedding, and drank a good amount of champagne. Except that, Foxboro is pretty much an empty town. One that can be passed by quickly, and forgotten equally fast.

2008-08-23, Milwaukee to Houston

2008-08-23 14:05, Continental Airlines Flight # 547, ORD - IAH.

Knowing I would have to make a lighting trip to India, I bought a ticket and flew to India the same day. After catching breakfast with friends, I missed the bus to O'Hare airport (ORD). Noone really runs out of resources ever, so I was dropped off at the airport. After a quick pass through the check in counter and security, I was soon waiting at the gate to board the flight. About 10 minutes later, I was in line to board the craft.

The Flight was uneventful to say the least and well, was downright boring. Just some fake air hostesses and a mildly turbulent flight over fields and swamps. The only souvenir to take back was a packet of pretzel sticks.

Nothing much more to report here.

Road America

One of the most poetic things to behold is a race car doing it's job.
It gets even better when the cars are competing in the Generac 500
American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Car after car zooms past you at
beautiful speed for a full 4 hours at the amazing Road America track
at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

It was a beautiful experience to say the least. Also, the two Audi
diesel cars won 1st and 2nd, which made my day even better - I just
love diesel.

If you ever have a chance to go to a racetrack to witness a race,
never miss the opportunity. The sights, the sounds and the smells
harmonically blend together to uplift your senses and get your
adrenalin pumping by just being there. You feel your heart pounding
faster as each car rushes past you. Racing is one sport where even if
you have a favorite team, you will always root for every car on track.

Transportation

Transportation between Milwaukee and Wisconsin Dells. The one on the right is mine.

Taken during a recent camping trip.

Lake Delton

This is a picture of the recently drained Lake Delton. During some intense rain a little while back, the dam reining this lake back failed, draining the entire lake and causing flood damage along the way.

This sign used to inform patrons of their restrictions while using this boat launch, which now sits 3 meters above the water level.

Taken during a recent camping trip to Wisconsin Dells.

Wisconsin Dells

This picture is of a tent lit up by a lantern inside it. While the night is completely devoid of color, this colorful object seems to fill the void.

Taken during a recent camping trip to Wisconsin Dells.

Milwaukee

Travel takes you places, but always starts at home. Milwaukee is sort
of like a home to me these days, since most of my travels originate
from here.

This picture is of an engraved tile embedded in the sidewalk. The tile
looks like a relief feature of a child's painting. A city that
appreciates children this way may not be such a bad place after all!

First Post

Through this blog, I am going to attempt to log my travel accounts as much as possible. I am known to fall asleep for long periods of time during which the internet becomes just another thing that I live without. During the small bursts of internet activity, I will try to keep this thing updated. Also, I intend this to be an email only blog for the moment - as in, I only add posts via email, and all comments will be redirected to my inbox. There are bound to be mistakes and typos, but thats part of the fun.