Independence Day and its
associated weekend has always been a favorite with Indians to travel out with
their friends and families. My son and wife had already declared to me that
they had 5 days off and I was the spoilsport by not committing on my leaves. We
had started scouting for destinations pretty late and by then airfares and
reservations in trains and buses had already filled up to the brim.
We are a family with a lot of
individual permutations and combinations when it comes to travel. While I am not
averse to anything, my wife resists any travels in AC Sleeper Buses over 9
hours. My son is a junior Aviation geek, loves everything electric and my mom
is okay for anything when it comes to travel but with her elder sister who is
well past 75 years also tagging along in this trip we had to ensure that the
travel isn’t very strenuous to anyone.
It was 10th of August
and the holiday weekend was just around the corner. Like every other trip we
scout for international destinations first, realize the spike in airfare,
narrow down our search to something within the country and then look for beach
destinations as we don’t really like trekking up the hills.
The planning party always
includes only two people, me and my better half and we break the news to the
rest only a few days before the journey to contain the excitement. Here we had
less than a week to plan and execute the trip as well. My son had seen the
Vlogs of Submarine and Tupolev Aircraft at Vishakhapatnam (Vizag) and had been
longing to see them. Airfares had hit the roof. Trains to Vizag were few and
running into Waitlist. With trains being my forte, I checked multiple options
of multi-modal break journey and decided on the following since we had tickets
available in them and also to keep everyone in the travelling party happy.
15th August, 05:00 hrs.: South Bangalore Madiwala
Bus Stand to Vellore Bypass by NueGo Electric Seater/Sleeper combo.
15th August, 09:15 hrs.: Drop off at Vellore
Bypass, take local transport to Sripuram Golden Temple and return back to
Katpadi Railway Station.
15th August, 13:55 hrs.: Board the
Tirunelveli-Shalimar Special Express to Duvvada (Suburb of Vizag)
16th August, 04:55 hrs.: Get off at Duvvada
(expect the train to run a bit late to have daylight when we alight) and then check-in
to a Beacon branded hotel. Explore City.
17th August, Full Day: Explore City
18th August, half day to explore the city and at
15:55 hrs. depart by VSKP-SMVT Bengaluru Special Train.
19th August, 11:30 hrs.: Get off at KR Puram and
reach home.
15th August 2024:
With an alarm of 2:30 am set on
both phones, I was ensuring that we don’t miss the bus. After the customary
morning cup of tea with mom, we get to finishing our early morning chores.
Nirvaan who normally creates ruckus to get up at 6:45 am for school, today had
no qualms in waking up at 3 am. The Uber from our house in North Bengaluru to
Madiwala in South is scheduled to take 37 minutes in the early morning. It
arrives sharp at 4 am and we start out with 3 suitcases and my laptop bag.
The Uber car which turned up for
the pickup was a CNG one and its boot space was substantially compromised by
the cylinder. The two smaller suitcases could fit in the boot but the larger
suitcase could only be accommodated in the passenger seating area next to the
driver. Somehow, Bhavia sat in the front seat with her legs folded. She agreed
to manage the strain for next 37 minutes till we reach Madiwala.
There are 2 routes to Madiwala
from our house. One is a shorter route through the city and the longer and
straight road was to take the Outer Ring Road (ORR). We decided on the latter,
but little did we realize that BMRCL blocks all the flyovers on the ORR in the
night to undertake Blue Line Metro work on the median of the ORR. This meant
all the trucks and heavy vehicles on the road at that time of the night have to
divert onto smaller adjacent service roads. This is a painful task for the huge
trailers and of course all other vehicles which run behind it. There was a
total of 8 diversions on our way and the 37 minutes to destination grew to 65
minutes. I was tracking our bus to Vellore and it had already reached Madiwala
from Yeshwantpur at 4:50 am. The coordinator was calling me frantically and
somehow, I managed to tell him that we were running late due to metro construction.
Finally, we spotted the bus and stopped the Uber just in front of it and loaded
our bags and off we start the 5-day trip in a touch and go situation.
NueGo Electric Buses venture to
Chennai and a few other places from Bangalore and they are fully electric and
have a range of 300-350 kms on full charge. We had booked 4 Seaters and 1 Lower
Sleeper berth in case one of us wanted to lie down during the journey. Nirvaan
was excited to get into the berth and excluded us from his sight by pulling in the
curtains and we were seated on the other side. The good thing about a
Sleeper/Seater Combo bus is the ample and luxurious seats it offers in the
lower tier as they have to make it 2(seater) X 1(sleeper), unlike the
conventional 2(seater) X 2(seater). The speeds on this bus are locked to 80
kmph so once it hits the Electronic City Flyover, you realize that other
conventional buses over take it with utter disdain. With most of the riders on
the bus having an early start the bus is silent and everyone tries to catch up
on their lost sleep. The ride is eventless and we stop for a loo break for
10-15 minutes and then again stop at NeuGo Charging station somewhere near
Krishnagiri for a 40 minute break to recharge. We spot many other NueGo Buses
come and start the ritual. Thankfully, there is a restaurant attached to this
space and we order our breakfast which consists of Dosa, vadas and idlis.
We restart our journey and within
next 30 minutes we reach Vellore Bypass at 9:45 am, delayed by 30 minutes. Had
it been a conventional bus those 40 minutes of charging could have been
avoided. It won’t deter me from using NueGo bus though. We had sufficient
buffer in our trip plan. At the deboarding point, we got an Ape Piaggio Auto
which could load all our luggage with ease and drop us at Sripuram Temple
Complex in 30 minutes for Rs 400. After depositing our suitcases, mobiles and
footwear, we started up on a special queue at Rs 150 per person which promises
a direct darshan. The pathway meanders
through a long queue across the temple complex in the shape of a 6-point Star
with the sanctum sanctorum perched in the middle of the Star with an artificial
moat styled pond around it. The walk stretches over a kilometer but as it a
covered pathway with manicured landscape of flora and fauna around it, we don’t
feel the distance. We did take short breaks along the walk, sip in some water
and proceed further. At 11:55 am as we reached the Golden Temple structure, it
was glittering in the bright day light. We had to wait for 10 minutes for the
mid-afternoon rituals where the door is shut for pooja. Luckily for us we were
the first in the queue to stand facing the doors and as soon as they opened we
had the best and unhindered view of the Goddess. Satisfied and blessed from the
visit, we returned to take back our luggage and head to Katpadi Railway Station
in another Ape Piaggio Auto at Rs 450. We spotted the 16th century
Vellore Fort with the moat around it. If we had a few hours in hand, we could
have covered it as well but with Vizag on the destination board, we couldn’t
afford this break.
I had checked on the departure of
our train from Tirunelveli at an unearthly hour of 01:50 am and it had departed
on its maiden special run on time. It was losing its mojo mid-way and at one-point
IRCTC messaged us that it was running late by 1 hour 20 minutes but with a
caveat that it is likely to make-up. This disclaimer by IRCTC does not give you
any scope of reaching the station late. So, we made it to Platform No 1 of
Katpadi by 13:00 hrs. with almost 55 minutes for our train to arrive. A casual
check at the enquiry counter indicated the train would arrive by 15:15 hrs.
Without wasting any more time, I prepaid for 2 hours in the AC Waiting area for
us at Rs 35 per adult and Rs 20 per child per hour. It saved us from the
scorching heat, gave us access to cleaner toilets and also offered space to get
food and eat at peace.
We ordered from Burger King on
Swiggy with delivery point as the AC waiting room. Beauty of QSRs is their
consistency of food quality wherever you go. After completing our lunch, while
my family waited in the comfort of that space, I did make multiple rounds of
the station premises and platforms with consistent traffic bound towards East
coast, Chennai, Bangalore and Kerala. I was constantly tracking the 08067 TEN
SHM SPL Express and it seemed to be stuck in time. At 15:30 hrs., I purchased
one more hour of AC Waiting Room facility. The tracking app was indicating the
train to be stuck for more than an hour and I was starting to doubt it. On
checking with the enquiry counter the railway staff indicated that it will
arrive anytime at Platform 4. Not to take any chance, we vacated the AC Waiting
room and moved along with our luggage to Platform 4 at 16:10 hrs. The sun was
shining at its brightest and this platform had only partial cover. Hence
everyone was trying to converge in whatever space was available beneath the
Platform Roofs. This special train arrives via the Vellore Cantonment line
which is a single track and I could see a train bound to Villupuram and a MEMU
to Vellore CanT depart from Katpadi. Hence, the delay was increasing and
inevitable. At 17:35 hrs. with a delay of more than 3 hours 40 minutes the LHB
rake made its way onto the platform. Everyone had to run 3 -4 coaches ahead as
the announcements of the coach position had gone awry. We settled down in our
LB, LB, SL and SU berths in M6 as the consist was made from 3E coaches. It was
okay on the cleanliness front and was going to be our home for the next 18
hours.
While the delay of 3 hours 40
minutes was frustrating, in hindsight, it would have helped us get off at
Duvvada at a reasonable day time around 9 am if the delay was not going to
increase. The future had something else in store for us. By the time we reached
Arakkonam Jn, the delay was increasing at a gradual pace. It was getting darker
and entering Chennai Suburban section meant we were crawling through. After
Perambur as we move towards Nellore, the delay stood at 5 hours.
16th August 2024:
I had taken the side upper berth
and most of the time, when I woke up in the middle of the night, I would find
the train to be stationary as well. At 7
am in the morning we were crossing Godavari to enter Rajamundhry. We were
pegging to reach Duvvada only by late morning. The special was given a royal
treatment by the controllers. We were put up at so many wayside stations that I
lost count and one point even saw passenger trains overtake us. In the course
of our journey, we saw Vande Bharat trains overtake and cross us at various
junctures. Lack of food options and water in the stations along the route was
adding to the irritation. I found some bananas at Rajamundhry and some
biscuits/water at Samalkot. The only other option available from 9 am in the
morning was Veg and Egg Biryani which we didn’t want to try. Finally, after a
delay of 9 hours and 30 minutes we reached Duvvada at 13:30 hrs.
Came out of the platform, booked
an OLA Sedan for around Rs 750/- after travelling for 45 odd minutes we reached
the hotel. Check-in was smooth and we loved the room. First task on hands was
to freshen up and plan for an early dinner as we were exhausted from the train
ride. Believe me and Bhavia for making some unconventional choices when on a
trip. It was 5 pm by the time we were all ready and there wasn’t much left for
the day to do. We checked on BookMyShow.com and found a newly released
Malayalam movie, Nunakuzhi at an INOX next to the RK Beach at 8 pm. The plan
was to reach the beach and give Nirvaan 45 minutes to play in the sand on the
beach, while we relished the Bhutta(Corn roasted over charcoal). Then we headed
to Eat@Varun, a fine dine restaurant below the INOX, had some spicy hot food which
consisted of Prawns Biryani, Fish Tikka, and Chicken Biryani with some
starters. The food was super spicy even though we had asked them to make it
Medium Spicy, in true Andhra style. We had 30 minutes for the movie and decided
to have some ice-creams and falooda. (Nothing can beat a falooda from Mumbai
though). Movie was a one time watch Comedy, but we had to really stress
ourselves from falling asleep as the cooling in the theatre was extremely
chilly and the storyline had too many twists to remember. We finished the movie
at 10:30 pm and took an Ape Piaggio to reach our hotel back in 20 minutes,
ready to soak into the super comfy bed. Next day had to be the day with all the
activities aligned in it.
17th August 2024
We slept like a bear and after
finishing the morning chores, we headed for a fulfilling breakfast. Bhavia had
negotiated with a Cab service for an 8-hour trip around Vizag at Rs 3000/- It
was on time and waiting for us at the gates. First, we head to the famous
Ropeway to test adventure bearing capacity of the travelling souls. It was
10:30 am and we still had 30 minutes before it could start operations. Fare was
Rs 150 and Rs 80 for Adult and Kid respectively for a to and fro journey on the
ropeway. You need to climb around 50 steps to reach the base station of the
ropeway. While the climb is really not confidence boosting as the stairs are
made of metal and you can hear the screeching sounds as you move up. We wait
for the ropeway to spin and give us an exclusive gondola with Nirvaan and I
facing the base station while mom, aunt and Bhavia sit facing the climb. Since
my mom and Bhavia are prone to Vertigo, they are advised to not move their
vision by turning their heads instantaneously. The climb begins and the gondola is gaining
altitude every second. Along with it, our heart beats increase in direct
proportion to the height gained. As it passes the holding towers, there is a
dangerous asynchronous movement of the gondola which increases the fear factor
for all of us. The ordeal lasts for roughly around 3 minutes but the altitude
we gain is stupendous. From the top, we can see the entire coastline and
buildings of Vizag. The ride is worth the view. Atop the ropeway station we
visit the manicured gardens of Kailasagiri which has huge white statues of Siva
and Parvati. We decide to get on the larger than life toy train which does a
parikrama of the mountain top providing its passengers with a 360-degree view
of the Vizag City and its surroundings with beach on one side and tropical
forests on the other side. The ride lasts 15 minute and then we get back to the
ropeway station for our return journey. The ordeal repeats while returning as
well via the ropeway. We thank our stars for safely returning back to the base
station.
Next up on the agenda was a long
ride to Thotlakonda, an ancient Buddhist site atop a mountain which again
provides a breathtaking view of the city. All along the road we are accompanied
by the beach shoreline. The drive is pleasing to the heart. At Thotlakonda, we
trek a few meters to see the ancient brick structures which are claimed to be
made in 300 BC. With sun beating down on our back and humidity in the air, we
quickly bid goodbye to the site and start the return journey back to the city.
We stop over for a few minutes at the Rushikonda Beach which is cleaner and
sparely populated than the RK Beach. Our Chauffer showed us the proposed CM
House near the Rushikonda beach which looked better than the mansions we see in
a Karan Johar movie.
Our next pit-stop was the Vizag
Zoo. The entire walkable zone is more than 4 kms in radius and we settled for
the faster and easier way to see the zoo via the battery-operated car. It was going to be a ride which lasts 45-60
minutes. While the zoo is green and has animals from the various strata of the
forest, it is comparatively less populated if you compare it with Mysuru or
Bengaluru’s own Bannerghatta Zoo. We were advised to stop and have a closer
look at multiple enclosures by the driver cum guide of the battery-operated
vehicle.
From Zoo we decided to travel
back on the beach lined street to a location where a small ship had got stuck
during the frequent cyclones that hit the east coast of India. While Bhavia,
Mom and Aunt decided to stay put in the car, Nirvaan and I did a 500-meter
sprint through the sandy beach to reach the ship. It seemed to be stuck in time
and rusting at its edges. We decided against climbing up and just posed for
some pictures and returned back to our car.
Next up was the Kursura INS
Submarine museum. A real-life relic of the Indian Navy’s submarine plinth next
to the beach is a must visit. You get access inside the narrow corridors of a
yesteryear submarine. It enhances your pride in our defense forces for the strenuous
hours and days they put in such constrained environments to protect us from
enemies. Nirvaan was bombarding me with a barrage of questions. Some, I could
answer, for the rest I simply looked away as if I was deaf.
Across the road from Kursura was the
Russian made Tu-142 Aircraft plinthed as well. We didn’t waste any time on the
road and this one as well allows guests to walk through its aisle. This is
probably the only place in India where the Hunter and the hunted are plinthed
next to each other. The Submarine and the Aircraft may have crossed their hay
days but they do instill tremendous patriotism in the young minds visiting
them. Up next was the more modern Sea Harrier Museum. Nirvaan was going crazy
looking at the artefacts and the engines on display. By now the twilight had kicked
in and so had our hunger pangs. Calling it a day we decided to retune back to
our hotel and dine at their in-house restaurant. Food was less spicy this time and
our legs were hurting. After a sumptuous dinner we hit the bed with more
instore on our last day at Vizag.
18th August 2024
Our return train to Bengaluru was in the afternoon, with major attractions around Vizag covered, we planned to leave early in the morning to Simhachalam in the hills nearby. After our breakfast, we kept our bags ready at the hotel for a checkout and left in a round trip Ola for a 32 km one way ride up the hills with an altitude gain of 300 metres from the coastline to the very famous Varaha Naramsimha Simhachalam Temple. The complex is spread across acres of land over the hilly plateau. We paid for the special entry as we didn’t want to risk our return ride within the stipulated time for our train. The darshan was peaceful and we enjoyed walking through the precinct.
We returned back to the hotel in the same OLA
and then after a quick wash and change, we checked out of the hotel to head to the
Vizag station. There were no surprises with the train this time, it was an ICF
rake. It was already berthed and after placing the luggage and comforting mom,
aunt and Bhavia in their seats, Nirvaan and Papa started our long ride to check
the loco. It was P7 and the return journey was pretty uneventful barring a
challenge in the adjacent 2A coach which did not seem to have its AC working.
The passengers were asked to move into other coaches while the train departed.
Over the next one hour, we saw
the technicians work on fixing it and later we saw a huge thick cable running
all the way from our 3A coach to the adjacent 2A coach through the vestibule.
Eventually the affected passengers were accommodated back in their original
coaches. It did flare up tempers for a few minutes with arguments ensuing
between railway officials and affected passengers on why a terminal starting
train was not checked before being stabled on platform for departure. What everyone
forgets is that it was make shift Special train and these things come with a “chalta
hai” attitude. Anyways, problem resolution meant, everyone was finally calm and
prepared for the long ride back to SMVT Bengaluru. Next day, we reached KR
Puram with a delay of an hour which was much better than our journey to Vizag. Thus,
ending the independence weekend day sojourn for 2024.
The trip ended exactly a year
back and this writeup has been sitting on my desktop since then in an
incomplete state. The pace of life has been awfully busy. This year we head to
our native place with my family for the independence weekend. But, I still remember
when we used to live in Mumbai, independence weekend was for our annual monsoon
railfanning trips with fellow railfans. Times have changed, many of us got married,
many of our friendships grew apart as some moved out of the city for career and
growth. I am still good friends with a close-knit group of railfans but
priorities in life have changed overtime for each one of us. Today, as we hide
behind comforts of Vande Bharat or AC sleeper with or without our families on
trips we take more often than yesteryears, but the magic and romance of
travelling in a Non AC train in the peak
of monsoon with rain droplets hitting your face hard through the windows as you
yearn to see the distant mountains, waterfalls, paddy fields brimming with the
harvest and small kids waving at you from their farmlands will never be seen
again. My son doesn’t like slow locals or passenger trains. For him speed is
king, for my spouse, hygiene and comfort take precedence and as a family member
you give in to their genuine requests.
