A KSRTC to Bangalore

There's a reason why the title reads 'A KSRTC....' instead of  'A day bus to Bangalore'. 

When I knew I was doing a short trip to Bangalore, my thoughts went to the possibility of a day bus, for the simple reason that I just love road trips. 

And as always this question of 'isn't it a waste of time' comes up (as also proved by the fact that I was the only one in the entire bus who did Hyderabad to Bangalore, the rest of the few folks on the bus were doing a hop skip jump between towns) 

Guess I don't understand 'productivity' the way everyone else does :)

Anyways.....on 'Vantage and View'.  It's so amazing (shocking) that all buses, with exception of KSRTC, have their windows painted across. It's crazy, just blocks out the ease of view. I actually pulled up images of all the travels who offer day service to find that it was only KSRTC who have their windows as meaningful 'windows' ( a way to connect into the outside). Now you get the title.

Pictures from the day: That's my bus, when we'd stopped for breakfast.

See that window painted across....TSRTC was another option that got ruled out for just this.

This was an interesting early morning drop to the bus stop...5.30 am. I had Sheik Shaukath. He took  me through some lanes I'd never been in before, and I'm telling him that, and he's like "shortkataan maloom madam", and when I got off and asked him for a picture he goes "kaiko madam?"

On our way....

Considering the bus was almost empty, I got to go sit behind the driver when I felt like a front view

Another front view picture

Inside of the bus

Tungabhadra in full flow...it was flowing so wide I initially thought it was a big lake

And again

After Anantapur, we hit these dry and arid countryside

Red soil there, which grows mostly peanuts and sunflower I think

As we approach Bangalore, there's so much grape gardens

This was my night bus back. I love the single upper berths, where you get to lie down and watch the stars. This picture seems to have caught half of the inside and half out.

Early morning, as I was leaving Diksha actually did a picture......I love the excitement that precedes a trip

Was a cute short trip to Bangalore....Dev uncle's 80th Birthday...a little family affair, but I just had to be there ......special reason, special person :)

A day out with dad....

and, a subtle but solid learning to boot .....

Yesterday dad and I spent the afternoon at the passport office for his passport renewal. 

Getting to the passport office, the process (though it was very efficiently streamlined for senior citizens), the steps, the waiting, the seats, the multiple counters........even all that was like a monumental effort for him. 

At almost eighty five...... with severe arthritis, a debilitatingly painful knee, a severe aortic aneurysm, and a heart problem that's just starting.....you realize he's living with a lot of odds piled against him........can't be easy space. 

And it's in this context that what he said was so beautiful.

When he first said he wants his passport renewed, folks at home were like...What?? Why?? ( obvious reason being that he was highly unlikely to be travelling out of the country again). He quietly went about it on his own. Found himself an agent, called them home, created the document file, filed the application......and then gave me the date and time of the interview.

We went. 

Job done, (he even got a nice swanky tan colored leather cover for his passport), we're sitting outside, at a cafeteria and having matka chai in the sun.....and only then did I realize how much it had meant to him. He says:

"this would never have happened if it wasn't for you, our whole lives would have been different if you weren't here"

"ayyo daddy (giving him a hug) it's a small thing....and of course I'd be here..that's why I moved see"

"no, you don't get it......this is not one of those regular things, if you weren't here I wouldn't have got it done.... it's lapsing tomorrow and I would have just given up.....you see, I also know that I won't be travelling again......... but to let my passport lapse means I am giving up one more facet of life to age.....giving up not just the identity, but also the possibility....letting those doors close....at this age these little things become more significant than you know"  

That so blew me.

To be able to connect into yourself, articulate what works as real ....and what works as a psychological prop, to know when not to just be practical.....to know how to be nice and loving to yourself. 

Was such a wonderful moment, chilling there in the sun, sipping chai, sharing those thoughts, a deep connection being felt........an afternoon that will stay forever.

The little things that warm the heart

An incident from yesterday evening.

I'd just reached my parents place, and was opening a packet of hot hot mirchi bajjis and mysore bhajjis....laying them out with chutney and all. Just then their watchman Naidu, walked into the house. The smell of fresh hot bajjis...aah....wafting through the air, all over the room...mouth watering..... so occurred the thought, and I quite naturally, gave him some.

The evening continued with mirchi bajjis and mysore bajjis and chai over relaxed chit chat.

A couple hours later, Naidu was back in the house to tell dad about some association meeting, and they had a long discussion. And as he was leaving he pauses by my chair to say "చాలా రుచిగా వుంది మాడం మిర్చీ భజ్జి , అలాగే తింటును వేలాను" (the mirchi bajji was very tasty madam, I ate it as I went down).

And then I see mom smile and say, as much to herself as to me "so nice of him, how much difference these little things make".

She was reflecting my very thoughts....and feelings too. I could feel that wonderful warm feeling in my heart.......a small but gracious gesture on his part.....one that goes a long long way.

Karwaan

A road trip..... funny, quirky, dark and soulful at one time.

What I told mom as we walked out "that's the kind of funny I like.......a movie that made me laugh so much".....laugh at the quirks of life in the most serious and profound spaces.....spaces of  introspection, lost dreams, generation gaps, attitudes........ even mortality itself. 

Three most disparate souls, Avinash, (Dalquer Salmaan) , Shaukat (Irrfan Khan) and Tanya (Mithila Palkar),  in one van, with one dead body, going from Bangalore to Cochin via Ooty. 

The characters are sketched out beautifully, especially the highly opinionated Shaukat and the dejected and serious Avinash, with Tanya being the quintessential millenial, each with their own issues, and like Tanya says "hum sab ka father department mein tragedy hai na". A perfect cast, with brilliant performances.

The narrative, as intended on a road trip I guess, is curved and bumpy as the road, a trip with several unplanned detours..... also as beautiful .........metaphorically as also one of the most picturesque drives that South India has to offer.

A journey that shifts perspectives.......and so shifts self and relationships.

@Vijji aunty, thanks so much for the strong recommendation ....I hadn't even heard of the movie up until then....and more, for saying it like you did. "You should absolutely go watch it" she said, and so I did , and I'd watch it again too :)

A Picture Speaks

When a picture speaks a thousand words.....

@Ravi, thanks for sharing

The Trio's Little Abode

Sounds like out of an Enid Blyton . And looks like too.... I'd say. 

At Hawaii, about a week after we reached was when the house was packed, all visitors overlap time, the center of the venn diagram kinds.....and kamlesh aunty rented this cute little Air B&B for Tejas, Jessa and Deech for a few days, a place that was a ten minute walk from home.

The drawing room, with Tejas caught unawares

The dining room with Jessa caught unawares

The backyard with Diksha caught unawares

I'm sure they weren't dancing, but that's some moment like that caught here

The rare moments I'd say "guys, picture please", I'd have this pose :)

See what I mean :)

Practical reasons apart, psychiatrist that aunty is, I suspect a deeper reason was to enable a bonding between the three. While Tejas and Diksha have spent a lot of kid time ( under 12) together, it's been ten years since they've met, and Diksha and Jessa were meeting for the first time.......and this worked so brilliantly well. They became the trio see :)

A Road Between Two Massive Volcanoes

Back to Hawaii :)

Saddle Road. One of the most......no, the most dramatic road I've ever driven on. The landscape and views keep it at jaw dropping levels most of the way.

The road is an 85 kilometer stretch going between two massive volcanoes on Big Island, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, with each end of road at ocean level, running through different climate zones, and ear popping altitude (6500 feet)

The Hilo side where we started is green, lush, rainy with almost low visibility and you quickly hit arid volcanic rocks with extinct crests and cones of  old eruptions, (that's when the air pressure makes the ears pop) and then you're back to the ocean on the other side of the island. You get why dramatic, right? 

Here's pictures:

The large dunes to the left which extend into the horizon are old volcanic fissures of lava called Pu'u(s)

Mauna Lea up ahead

The volcano slope visible in the background......these volcanoes are nothing like the picture we have in mind, not sharp conical, but gentle and long slopes reaching upto massive heights.

Both sides is just volcanic rock, black with absolutely no growth

A little further from the volcano, and you see that growth has begun

Further off and more growth

The volcano looming large at far end

And from that stark and arid landscape, one turn and you suddenly feel you're driving right into the ocean again

One of those times where no description I add will bring out the experience..... again, one of those most dramatic landscapes of a volcanic island.....different !