Walker, Pune Ranger

Been on two lightning trips to Pune over the past few weeks. Leave first thing in the morning to return in the night. Have used all modes of transport i could think of in these trips - trains, buses, cars, ricks, tum-tums - basically anything with more than two wheels on.

Add to that loads of good old walking. Must have walked some 15 odd km on these two days. And why did I end up walking so much? True, I do enjoy walking. But then there are limits. The first trip took the Indrayani and went looking for a bank in the wilderness. Only to roam all over Shivaji Nagar. You come across names like Junglee Maharaj (JM) Road which just about makes up for it. Without running into anymore wild roads, but walking along many more - success. Get to work. Waste time there. Walk the 4 odd km to Phase II (stupidly). Waste some more time there. Get an Indica in the evening and get back to Bom.

Next trip take the volvo out to Pune. Get my work done. Catch tum-tum at Hinjewadi. Idiotically don't tell the driver where I want to go. Ended up getting a tour of the fields around Hinjewadi and then somehow land at Gandhi Chowk. No, I have no idea where the hell that is. There however was a board pointing to Chinchwad station. This being the first time I saw clear directions in Pune, I get excited and decide to walk. I then proceed to get Chinchwad gaon ka darshan, all the manufacturing companies out there and the gutters, everything. Few km and a rick later reach the station. Brilliant decision is made to take local to Lonavla. And then catch the Indrayani to bom. While local is stationery at Talegaon, train which looks ominously like the Indrayani passes by. Have chai and vada pav at Lonavla thinking whether this is going to turn into a repeat of Nanjing. Thankfully hear announcement saying the Indrayani is coming in. Relief and the related feelings. Jump into the unreserved and reach home.

Yes. I still like the train ride better than the expressway. If nothing else, for the great views you get. There just is something about the train that just can not be found on the road.

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Two days in Pune. There just isn't anyone there any longer. People you knew have either ditched or are ditching. Makes you wonder, Why the hell am i still in this organisation?

The lucky traveller

After staying with an expired visa in HK twice, was wondering whether I would have a repeat here.

Me visa was to expire on Saturday, I had no idea about my travel plans till Monday. Contact travel for a ticket back before Saturday telling them the reason clearly. First the chap completely ignores the request. Second, the guy comes back saying the tickets are all waitlisted. Finally, after two days, the chap does come back with a confirmed ticket. Only its on Sunday night, by which time I would have become an illegal migrant in a none too friendly (or so we hear) country.

So there me is sitting completely lost wondering what the hell to do. Get back to travel telling them clearly to get me a ticket leaving latest saturday night. Slowly the tubelight on the end switches on. Says that they will check and let me know. Thus begins two days of frantic calling every few hours to find out whether I have hope or not. Finally thursday night I get a ticket out. Only thing I have to travel via Beijing and I will be leaving Beijing at 0005 on Sunday. Something is better than nothing. Besides I thought I would be completing me emigration formalities in Shanghai in the afternoon and things would be fine.

Come saturday, after all my previous experiences with travel, I decide to leave bright and early for the flight. Booked a taxi to go to the airport. Go down at the appointed time. Wait five minutes. Wait ten. Wait fifteen. Then start getting jumpy. My phone had died out. No one was at home and I had left my key in the house as I was leaving. There I was stranded in the middle of the street with no sight of no taxi and no way to call and find out whether it is coming or not. Trudge off to the estate agents, who are two blocks away, dragging all my baggage. Somehow explain to the agent that I need to make a call, call a taxi and get the agent to tell the taxi waala were I want to go.

So successfully I end up at Shanghai Airport, only to find out that I cant pass emigration there. It will have to be done in Beijing.

With no option, get on the flight to Beijing. Get off at Beijing. No bridge here. Its two degrees C on the tarmac. All the passengers from the flight are hoarded into a bus. Thankful for the warmth from bodyheat stand as the bus then takes all around Beijing airport to arrive at the baggage claim terminal. Pick up bags to go for check in to me next flight. One weird thing, Customs check is done before check-in here. The guy at the check in counter was more worried about me expiring visa than the guy at emigration. Gives me a weird looks and finally gives me a boarding pass. Go and clear emigration at 2300. I am legal for one hour more. Thankfully flight leaves on time and after travelling twelve hours back and forth accross the Asia, I'm back home.

Broke on through

Yes..this one has been in hiding for quite some time. So what have i done since August end when i last reported in? Apart from being buried under at work very little. Though I did manage to get out once in awhile

• A small town called ZhouZhang (atleast thats the best way I can translate the spelling). The town is about one and half hours out from Shanghai. Touted as the Venice of the East, the waterways and small paths are all very viewable. Being a touristy destination though, crowded and noisy.
• The Shanghai Grand Prix. The place where Lewis Hamilton probably threw away the title that was his for the taking. The noise and the smell of gas ... great fun. Realised the quality of Chinese fake merchandise while walking back after the race.
• Nanjing. Probably the best trip I have taken till date. Not just for the place but the circumstances under which it happened and the wierd situtation we found ourselves.
  
  Some background, Nanjing was the capital of China in the early Ming dynasty, before the third Ming emperor decided to move the capital to Beijing. Me and one other guy had only heard about it. One Saturday night at 1230 we were talking about it. The other guy was leaving back to India the next weekend. After 6 months of getting mauled, We wanted to get out and see some China. Decided if we manage to get up early the next day we'll go out to Nanjing
  
  Did manage to get up early and went to Shanghai South Station looking for trains to Nanjing. We were told that there was no return available tickets are available for the onward journey. Asked him how long it would take us to reach there and we were told that it would take two hours. We thought 2 hours by train would be 3 hours by bus at the most. So decided to go anyway.
  
  Get to the correct station and board the train. Soon after the train is chugging along at 249 kmh. This is when the realisation struck that this plcae is pretty far off and we just might not be able to return by us... First thing we do getting out of the train is go look for a return ticket. No english spoken here. Luckily the guy behind us knew some english. Were told no train today, best tickets you can hope for second train out tomorrow morning. No option so we took the tickets. Slightly concerned about the nights stay but we decided to worry about that later. Buy a map and pick out the Zhongshan National Park area.
  
  Probably the best unguided decision we could have made. Autumn was in full bloom and the place was beautiful. The colours, the scenery all awesome. The best part... not so many people about. Peaceful, tranquil and very satisfying. Went walking around the park, visited the tombs and various places inside.
  
  Six hours later, exhausted ,hungry and cold (some 6 degrees C at that time) we come out as the sun sets. We call back to Shanghai to find the address of an Indian restaurant that i remember is there somewhere in Nanjing. Get the address and hurry over to there for dinner. While having dinner, we tell the waiter that we needed a place to stay. He said that the local Chinese waiter will help us find a place to stay nearby.
  
  Calmed and satisfied we have our dinner. After dinner the Chinese waiter takes us to a few hotels. Everywhere we are told " Mayo Passport, Mayo" (loose translation No Passport, Not possible). At 9pm we realise we are in deep in shit and were thinking the only option would be to stay in the station waiting room. Go back to the restaurant and tell the owner of our plight. The chap raises his hands and suggests we take the last train out to Shanghai. As we exit the place the waiter comes up and asks "Aap main se koi Tamil baat karta hai kya?". I said I do Why?. Then the chap says "Chalo, Phir main aapko ek aadmi se milata hun jo aapka shayad madad kare." Me was thinking wtf?
  
  The guy then takes us to a Chinese restaurant nearby where .... a Tamilian is making roti. Stunned I see this chap's lifesize cutout at the entrance and I am left speechless for a few seconds. Finally regaining my senses, me tries my dodgy Tamil and the guy agrees to take us to this contact of his who does not need a Passport for boarding. He says he'll meet us in a couple of hours.
  
  So there we were walking around the streets of Nanjing with our fate in the hand of a Tamilian Roti Maker. The guy comes and takes us to this hotel with an entrance in the rear of a seedy looking building. Inside, decent enough acco for staying a night. Thank our man profusely, sleep and get back to Shanghai the next day in time to see the work go to the dogs again.
• The week after this adventure wanted to go either Beijing or go see the Tennis Masters in Shanghai. Neither happened. Just too tired after the week. The weekend after that was to be my last in China. Me made up my mind to go to Beijing come what may. Others hooked up. However after the Nanjing Experience, no one was willing to take any chances. On short notice flight was out of the question. So took a overnight train. 1400 odd kilometers in about 11 hours on the Z class trains. Very comfartable.
  
  In Beijing, one of our friends in the bank had arranged for a tours for the weekend. Sherman from "Happy Beijing Tour Company Ltd" picked us up at the station and took us to the The Ming Tombs and The Wall. Ming tombs were bit more grander than at Nanjing. However the ones at Nanjing somehow seemed more satisfying. Maybe the less crowd, not being herded around in a tour helped. But somehow just felt better about that visit.
  
  From there to lunch. Thanks to the guide we had a good vegetarian meal. Then off to The Wall. The misty day might have spoiled photos. But standing there on top of the thing, even amongst the crowd, you could not escape the grandeur of the place. A ten metre high 7 metre wide fence built on the edge of hills. Amazing. Any chap who tried to attack this bit of the land must have been straight out of his mind (was told that there were a few of them though). Two hours later we are on our way down. To the hotel and some deserved rest.
  
  Get up early next day and get going to The Forbidden City/ Temple of heaven and The Summer Palace. The forbidden city is a sprawling Palace where the Emperors of China used to stay. Is grand as an ancient monument. The crowds however did not help the feeling there.
  
  After spending a few hours went to the Temple of Heaven, where the emporor's came to pray to the Gods. A single building set in the middle of a forested area, very beautiful.
  
  Finally, the Summer Palace. A palace on the shores of a man made lake. Amazing scenery. Should be visited in the Summer though. Almost froze in the winds coming in over the lake. Cetainly worth a visit.
  
  Went back to see Tiananmen Square in the night. Lit up it is a sight worth seeing. Got back into the train and reached Shanghai the next day.

Even after going to Nanjing and Beijing, you just get the feeling that you have not seen anything of the country. Places like the Huangshan Mountains, Xi'an, Tibet. Just feel like i should have got out more on the weekends. Anyway, Maybe we'll see them sometime in the future...