After watching visuals of Kolkata in various movies, TV shows and reading about its local places in stories of Feluda and Byomkesh Bakshi, I became eager to visit that place. After a lot of thoughts and delays, the trip finally happened in January this year (2024). The capital of West Bengal and its spirit impressed me thoroughly.
The iconic yellow taxi
A major reason for this is the old-world charm that the city has still retained. I felt that the main city is found in its simple, everyday scenes that ooze the word ‘art’. Whether it is the old yellow taxi or simply an old structure standing tall while enduring the test of times. The place and its surroundings somehow reminded me of the nostalgic 90s of my home place, Mumbai (then Bombay).
Needless to say, I clicked plenty of pictures throughout my trip of just under a week. Hence, it was quite a task to zero in on 10-15 pictures that I loved the most and fit well in the theme of Kolkata’s old world charm.
No need to name the city once you see the hand drawn auto and the structure
This conductor was in no hurry to give the tickets
These red buildings instantly remind me of Basu Chatterji’s iconic TV show Byomkesh Bakshi
Life going around the famous Howrah Bridge
The old door and the old-fashioned bicycle are enough to take you in the flashback mode
The hand-drawn auto taking rest
This ancestral building still has its old name plate
The building that has stood the test of times
An unfamiliar sight
Simple doors that give away the name of the place they are based in
I got my passport created in 2016 at my dad and brother’s insistence. Even after I finally got hold of it after numerous formalities, I was never desperate to go abroad. It’s not that I wasn’t interested. I was just patient and felt that if it has to happen, it will. It finally happened six years later in this month when I got a chance to visit South Korea.
Since last year, I had formed an association with the people running the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (aka BIFAN) over there after they approached me to be a guest contributor for their festival magazine named Made in Asia. Last year, the festival was held online because of the deadly second COVID-19 wave. But this year, they held it in a hybrid mode and invited me to visit Bucheon and subsequently the festival.
The road to my first visit abroad wasn’t an easy one. Apart from lots of preparations, the most challenging aspect was the visa process which required plenty of documents. Plus, there were a few complications in my submission. I started visualizing the trip only after my visa got approved.
The route of the Air India flight was from Mumbai to Delhi to Incheon (South Korea). I am not a very flight-friendly traveller, so traveling for about nine hours from Mumbai to Incheon looked like a challenge. It didn’t turn out to be though because of the in-flight entertainment option where I saw Sarkar (2005) and Nightcrawler (2014), along with reading an e-book.
When the plane finally landed at the Incheon Airport, it took me some time to believe that I would be actually setting foot outside India for the first time. The first thing I noticed after coming out of the airport, after quite a few formalities, was the traffic sense of the people, but I didn’t think much about it.
The route from the airport to Hotel Floce in Bucheon was a long one and it gave me a good opportunity to keenly observe the surroundings. When we reached the hotel, I was surprised to know that the manager didn’t understand English but, again, I didn’t think much about it. After taking a long rest as I was awake almost the whole night in the flight, I went out to take a stroll and to know places where I can eat some delicious food.
I soon realized that the people over there take traffic signals very seriously. They would cross the road only when the pedestrian signal turns green, even if the road is empty from both the sides.
Here’s how the citizens over there follow traffic rules
When I started looking out for good food joints, I was made aware of two rude surprises. I initially felt that the hotel manager not understanding English would be a one-off instance. But after enquiring at the various food joints I realized that almost everyone over there couldn’t understand English.
But the second surprise was even deadlier when it slowly dawned upon me that none of the joints served vegetarian food! I am someone who doesn’t even eat eggs, so I felt worried. On the first day of my first trip outside India, I really felt lost!
I was then reminded of the store 7 Eleven suggested by my brother. Fortunately, there was one right opposite the hotel. I realized that they too have no options in vegetarian food. I heaved a sigh of relief when I found different types of sweet breads (some with cream and jam). They had eggs in it but I didn’t care. Thankfully, I had carried a lot of dry food from home prepared by my mom.
It was then time to head out for the opening ceremony of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN). I was highly impressed with their punctuality. The event started dot on time and it was to-the-point. Very unlike the filmi events in Mumbai which start even a couple of hours (sometimes even more) after the scheduled time. The same punctuality was seen in the rest of the events and screenings too.
The dinner at the event had no veg options, except salads, fruits and desserts, which didn’t surprise me now. Although I was happy to be here, I was also worried about how I would spend the next few days.
Next morning, I was expecting the hotel to have some vegetarian items. They had but, again, it was just bread. The only option to go with it was an egg omelette. I had had eggs when I was too small. Our doctor had urged my family to feed me few regularly as I was weak. I felt now is the time to go back to my childhood as there was no other option left.
The daily breakfast
The lady preparing and serving breakfast at the hotel was too kind and caring but she also didn’t understand English. So I translated the words ‘bread’ and ‘eggs’ via Google for her. She nicely served toasts, omelette, salad and coffee. The menu for my breakfast was the same every morning. This country made a vegetarian into a temporary eggitarian.
It was a very important day as I had to speak representing India at a panel discussion at the festival. Just before the event, I attended a luncheon by the Film Development Council of the Philippines where I got some cosy vibes. And just before my panel talk, I had a preparation session with the moderator and fellow panelists from other countries (South Korea, Philippines and Thailand).
The panel discussion at the festival
I had never participated in a panel talk before even in India. But whatever butterflies I had in my stomach vanished after the preparation session. The main event went off well and much to my pleasant surprise, I was able to speak without being nervous. There was a scary moment though when a lady from India disagreed me and it looked as if she would rip apart my views but she just handed over the microphone back after a long speech. Phew!
At the panel talk
I later realized that my state of mind completely changed after this event and, especially, after interacting with others. I finally started feeling at home in South Korea!
Things became better the next day when my brother came to know that there is an Indian restaurant named Machha Puchhre not far from the hotel and it has vegetarian options. Surprisingly, when I had asked a lot of locals about any veg food joint in the locality, nobody told me about this one.
Machha Puchhre is run by a lady and the place also served veg Indian dishes like Samosas, Paneer curries, Dal and Naan. I was impressed with the quality of food and it was a relief to get to eat Indian food over there. It wasn’t possible to eat here daily twice because of the prices. But I was happy to know that I have this option.
Samosas at the Indian restaurant
I could only get US dollars at a currency exchange centre in Mumbai because they didn’t keep Korean won as not many Indians travel there. So I had to hunt for a place to exchange dollars into won the next day. Finding such a place was a major challenge, especially due to the language barrier. I had by then become used to translating words from English to Korean on Google to get directions from the local people.
I couldn’t find taxis and I wasn’t keen to go through the subway as I felt I might get confused. But deciding to walk to the destination offered me a chance to explore Bucheon and I was mighty impressed with how the city is maintained. The habit of walking in this city was kept alive throughout the trip. In fact, the distance I walked in these 5-6 days might be almost the same that I generally do in about a few months in Mumbai.
The area near Hotel Koryo, which lies on the right
I became fond of the area near Hotel Koryo at Gyeonggi-do (the name of the road) where all the events and interactions of BIFAN took place. The foot-over bridge over there (with slopes instead of steps) that connected one end of the road to the other became my favourite place.
As I had travelled all the way to South Korea, it made sense that I should visit Seoul. I had a long subway ride where I struggled to get tickets from automatic ticket machines and in getting into the right train. The language barrier added to the challenge. Finally, I reached the destination. But it was raining cats and dogs and what not. I got almost fully drenched but managed to visit the famous palace and explore the city somehow.
But it was a long journey back and I had to desperately wait to reach Bucheon. When I finally got down at a station in Bucheon, I felt as if I was back home. From being lost to feeling at home, it all happened in a span of just five days!
Gyeongbokgung Palace At Seoul
Apart from the impressive city of Bucheon, it was all possible because of the kind-hearted and super-helpful citizens of South Korea. They couldn’t understand my language and I couldn’t understand theirs. But they would go out of their way to help me find an address or a location. I guess kindness is understood in all languages.
I have heard quite a few times that great trips are the ones that change you in some way. On a lighter note, when I returned home after a long flight, my mother instantly noticed that my tummy had gone a bit inside. Now that was a welcome change!
The name ‘Rock Garden’, a tourist sight in Chandigarh, Punjab, interested me but didn’t excite. I felt it would just be a collection of different types of rocks. And I felt I was right at the start.
As soon as we entered the Rock Garden after paying Rs 30 entry fee, we were greeted by a number of stone and rock structures of various sizes. No doubt, they were some interesting pieces of arts. But it wasn’t enough to give me a kick.
Soon, I, and few others in our group, felt this is it as far as the art at Rock Garden is concerned. But as we kept walking ahead, we were proved wrong and how!
Out of nowhere a tiny passage gave way to a waterfall, out of the blue, which was a pleasant surprise. The sudden cool waves and the sweet smell of the union of rocks and water was enough for us to keep venturing inside further.
We soon realized that this waterfall was just the beginning. There were few more with the biggest of them all, in the picture below, was the most impressive.
Other pretty sights like the bridge on a pond and the passageways between rocks made us feel glad for our decision of not abandoning the place at the start.
But there was another surprise waiting for us, and this time it wasn’t completely a pleasant one. The place suddenly became deserted while we kept venturing further inside through the narrow doors and openings.
It suddenly dawned upon us that the exit was nowhere in sight. We kept following the path with more openings and doors leading to new areas but it was just unending. I felt a rare feeling of being trapped after going through the same exercise of finding the exit for almost 30 minutes!
We then came across another little opening but this time it was the exit, finally! I felt what Rajkummar Rao’s character did when he finds his way out in Trapped (2016).
The Rock Garden is highly recommended, provided you are okay with experiencing a bhool-bhulaiya.
History of the Rock Garden in Chandigarh:
The Rock Garden was built secretly by a government official named Nek Chand Saini from 1957 onwards in his spare time. It is completely built from waste and discarded items that he kept collecting.
There is also a Dolls Museum inside the Rock Garden. There are around 200 dolls that were made by Saini from waste cloth and discarded items.
Think about Srinagar and the first thing that comes to your mind is Dal Lake. The capital city of Jammu and Kashmir is completely based around the iconic lake. And once you think about Dal Lake, you automatically see the visuals of the beautiful little Shikaras (boats).
In fact, Dal Lake without Shikara is like body without soul. One can find a large number of them going around the lake in their sweet, own pace. Just like an antithesis to the fast moving world we all are used to. The boats are in different colours, each offering a new dimension to the waters below.
The Shikara ride is a soothing experience in itself. The man riding the boat will show no inclination of hurrying up whatsoever, which adds to the serenity. To see other pretty boats passing around you offers a childlike pleasure. Most of the times, the men riding the boat nearby you will offer a smile.
Despite it being a hand ridden boat, the Shikara offers very comfortable seating. There are cushion seats on both sides, with one side offering the luxury of almost lying down while feasting on the view.
A man selling vegetables on his Shikara.
At times, you won’t feel as if you are in the middle of a lake because of the frequent vendors that would pop up regularly. They sell varied range of items like saffron, clothes, dry fruits and vegetables while you will also find professional photographers.
A floating canteen or fast food corner took us by pleasant surprise. To sip Kahwa in the Shikara was quite something. The guy also sells snacks like Maggi, pakodas, Chinese, Pasta and some beverages.
Fast food stall
The problem area is that the vendors can get too pestering if you refuse to buy. This is seen not only in Dal Lake but in other areas of Kashmir too. The other minus point is that the water of the lake has become quite dirty. But the efforts of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) can be seen in cleaning up the lake daily.
The market
Some distance away at the far end lies a market selling textile and show piece items. There are proper shops, so one is required to alight from the boat to pay a visit.
The green vegetation might appear as if it is floating but the area is actually hard ground. And it is not a wasteland or weed. They grow vegetables in and beneath it.
The vegetation
The Dal Lake also has hundreds of houseboats lined up. They are proper hotel rooms with all the facilities one would expect. Staying and, most importantly, sleeping in rooms inside a lake is quite an experience. These houseboats don’t float like they do in Kerala.
Houseboats
The Hindi film Mission Kashmir was shot in one of the houseboats here. Being a film buff, the very mention of Kashmir makes me recall the Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta starrer. This was the film that enlightened many in the country about Kahwa.
This is something I have observed among people in Mumbai (including me). We visit far off places very often but fail to relish the experience of nearby destinations. I have been to various places in north and south India. But I explored Pune properly for the first time in May despite living in Mumbai all my life.
The same happened again last month during our office trip/ picnic to Alibaug.
Alibaug or Alibag is a coastal town in Raigad District of Mahrashtra. It is considered an ideal picnic spot. People usually spend time over here on the famous Alibaug beach or the various resorts and guest houses. The easiest way to reach there from Mumbai is to take the ferry or jetty ride to Mandwa from the Gateway Of India and then go by bus.
Just halfway during our ride from Mumbai to Mandwa I was amazed by the experience. This also made me regret not experiencing this before after growing up. The last time I took the jetty to visit Alibaug (via Mandwa) was way back in the early 1990s, which I hardly remember.
We took the more comfortable and kind of luxurious jetty called Maldar. It costs Rs 125 in the lower deck and Rs 150 in the upper. I would advise you to go for upper so that you get a chance to visit both sections during your journey. Upper deck ticket holders can visit lower but that isn’t the case vice versa.
They also have an air conditioned section costing only Rs 15 more. But it doesn’t make sense to sit in the AC and not experience the sea ride from the open. The ferry also serves snacks and beverages at reasonable rates.
The journey from Mandwa to Alibaug is around 30 minutes by road.
For a Mumbai resident, visiting Lonavala is no big deal as the hill station is close by. But I had never visited the place in monsoon, although I have heard plenty of times about the magic the place creates during that time of the year. It’s just that it never happened, until a couple of days ago when our office took us to that place for a picnic.
As soon as we even reached the outskirts of Lonavala, I was amazed by the scenic beauty of the place which went few notches higher due to the monsoons. Thankfully it was raining throughout our stay of two days. Despite visiting the place quite a few times in my life, it appeared different this time due to the rains. The scenes of fog on mountain peaks is something I can’t stop thinking.
Do see the pictures yourself (Click to enlarge the pictures).
Presented By: Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Oxford Publishers
Rating: * * * *
Review By: Keyur Seta
The main aim of Wildlife Photographers is to make the reader experience a wild safari inside a jungle while sitting miles away. Their task is difficult than video shooters due to the reliance only on still pictures. Ashok Mahindra’s e-book ‘Capturing Wildlife Moments In India’ achieves this aim hands down. This is not the only achievement of the book though.
‘Capturing Wildlife Moments In India’ is a collection of wildlife images, which includes animals, birds, reptiles and also nature, clicked by Mahindra over a period of time at different national parks of India.
The book is a treat not only for wildlife lovers but also for city dwellers trapped in concrete jungles. The well-shot and well thought pictures transport you to the raw interiors of forests. But, as mentioned by Mahindra, wildlife is not only about wild animals. Therefore, he has also given importance to other aspects of jungles. Other impressive feature is the trivia about some species and the back story behind the capturing of a number of pictures.
It is difficult to select few best among the 100 + pictures. But these are the ones that stand out:-
– Images of the Royal Bengal Tiger
– Asiatic Elephants spraying mud over their bodies to combat heat.
– Sal Trees at Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
– A spider trying hard to trap a butterfly
– A crocodile, deer and a bird appearing together.
– The picturesque Jogi Mahal below Ranthambhore Fort, Rajasthan.
– A mother elephant trying to convince her kid to get inside a lake.
– A Spotted Deer ready for mating.
But apart from presenting wildlife pictures, the deeper intent here is to encourage sustainability of wildlife habitats that are diminishing rapidly. It is like a wakeup call to the people of today’s times. The photographer-cum-author has also provided a list of solutions for the same.
Coming to the minor negative points, the written matter on some occasions needs to be short since it is a pictorial book. This becomes more problematic due to the very small font as one is required to zoom in and out regularly.
Overall: ‘Capturing Wildlife Moments In India’ is a pleasurable jungle safari.
The mention of Tata Motors instantly brings to my mind the Tata Zest experience, which was an interesting and memorable bloggers’ activity in Goa in association with Blog Adda. The same memories were revived when I came to know of another Blog Adda activity with Tata Motors, this time about their upcoming car Tata Bolt.
As per the exercise, we, the bloggers, had to visit a mall, where the Bolt is displayed for the public, and inspect the car and write down its features. To be honest, I hardly possess any knowledge about cars. So my description about the features is more like that of a layman.
Picture provided by Ankit Jain
Space: The comfort of the passengers holds high importance as it is the first thing that a passenger notices. It holds more importance if one goes on a long drive. I found Tata Zest to be well spacious. But I found Bolt even better on that aspect as I was able to stretch my legs well forward, both in front and back seats. Talking about wideness, the back seat is also as wide as in the Zest.
Dickey: You realize that the makers have cut down the space of the dickey in order to make it spacious. But when you do check the dickey, you realize they have compromised its space on a lesser degree only. Plus, its design is such that it doesn’t make much of a difference in terms of the space.
Body: The body of Bolt is smooth, shining and attractive. It feels good to caress it. What’s more important is that apart from the looks, it also appears strong.
Engine: Without going into the technicalities of the engine, let me tell you that the look of the engine was a pleasant surprise for me. Its super stylish looks made it very attractive, which isn’t the adjective we use to describe engines of normal cars. It looks somewhat similar to the one we see in sports cars.
Steering: Bolt has a modern electronic steering, which is comfortable to operate.
Modes: You can switch on any of the three modes. 1) Sport: As per the name, it is useful when you just wish to zoom ahead fast. 2) Eco: Helps in fuel efficiency. 3) City: This one is a balance of the first two.
Entertainment: It has eight speakers that produce impressive surround sound. And as expected from a new age car, its music system has gadget connectivity features with touchscreen facility.
Technical Aspects:
Petrol Version: Revotron 1.2T with Max Power of 90 PS @ 5000 RPM Diesel Version: Quadrajet 1.3L with Max Power 75 PS @ 4000 RPM
(The mileage and price are not revealed yet. They shall be revealed later this month at the launch [January].)
I had taken part in BlogAdda’s Zest Up Your Life (organized by Tata Motor’s Zest car) contest just for time pass. Since they were giving FlipKart vouchers for all entries, I thought there is nothing to lose. So I wrote a post in just about 20 minutes and after few days, I got a mail from them saying I am selected for a trip to Goa! A real-life experience of “Kahani mein twist!” On Tuesday July 22, none was knew we would be in Goa for the weekend. Read my winning entry HERE.
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Before this trip, I had been on a flight just once. That was back in 2001 and, unfortunately, it was a terribly scary experience due to some issue with the flight or the weather; I don’t remember much as I was almost a kid then. So, obviously I was a lot jumpy before the take off. I found some assurance from the person sitting next to me as she was also as Anari as me when it came to flying.
As the flight took off from Mumbai, I could only recall the scene from Pyar Toh Hona Hi Tha, where a truly petrified Kajol forced the pilot to return to the airport abruptly just after the take off. (Now while I am writing this, I wonder why I didn’t recall the scene from 3 Idiots since that was more recent; probably because R Madhavan’s character wasn’t scared.)
Coming back to the present day from flashback, I felt ajolt on my nerves when the flight went airborne. This was followed by a jhatka of a more intensity when it went further upwards. I saw the serene expressions of people around me and I wondered, “Are they in some other world?” However, that was the end as far as my nervousness was concerned. There wasn’t any ‘ooh aah ouch’ experience when the plane landed. So now was the time to indulge in the paradise called Goa!
Narain Karthikeyan speaks about the Zest
The welcome by the staff from the Zuri Hotel was more than overwhelming. Who would have expected to be welcomed royally with a teeka on our forehead? I almost told them, “I think you are mistaken. I am not representing any international or IPL cricket team.” At least, I can now say I had an off field experience as a Cricketer, if not on field.
As expected, the rooms were luxurious and the view of green lawns was incredible for someone like me who is always eager to experience any part of nature. Although the bathrooms were super luxurious, I have a big request to the hotel authorities to provide (don’t you dare laugh) a bucket and a tumbler (okay, you can laugh).
A bloggers meet or trip is surely incomplete if one doesn’t find interesting bloggers to interact with. I had my doubts whether I would find fellow Common Men (that also includes women). Thankfully, I did! The people I met, interacted and roamed with not only shared the wave length with me but also became thick friends.
My only suggestion to the organizers and BlogAdda is that they should allow more free time to the bloggers to roam around Goa. After all, people don’t visit this part of the country often, especially those coming from as far away as Kolkata. I can fully understand the tight schedule and the need to promote the sponsors. So just 2-3 hours should be enough.
Overall though, it was a welcome break on a weekend due to the serenity provided by the place. Contrary to what others say, I have always found Goa to be one of the best places to experience peace. Read more about it in my post on my first experience in GoaHERE.
The fact that it was completely unexpected made it more valuable. All thanks to BlogAdda and Tata Motors.
More photos from the trip:
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Arrival at Goa airport
Bloggers interacting
Our friendly and co-operative organizer cum anchor, Ankita.
Firstly, I have absolutely no experience about driving a car and I also possess no knowledge about cars or automobiles whatsoever. The reason for this, honestly, is my complete lack of interest in the subject. This is also seen from the fact that I hardly even know the names of cars except, Fiat, Ambassador, Maruti, Zen, Santro, etc. However, I do possess lots of experience of traveling in cars. So I am presenting the view of a traveler of Tata Motors’ Zest Car.
Here it goes:-
Smoothness: As soon as the Zest started, I felt the quality of roads of Goa suddenly improved. In other words, the drive was absolutely smooth. In fact, I have hardly experienced such a smooth ride ever, so much so that we almost didn’t feel the bumpiness of the roads.
Spacious: The car scores high marks in spaciousness too as three medium sized people can easily fit in the back seat without feeling crammed for space. Considering the high rates of obesity among today’s children and youngsters, this point is a big advantage.
Digital: The digital features as far as synchronizing your phone with the car is concerned, are very user friendly indeed. The process of answering the call and sending messages is very friendly and simple.
Seat: On dreary long drives, the big disadvantage that can irritate people traveling in it is the discomfort due to the seats. Thankfully, nothing of that sort happened while traveling in Zest. I hardly felt the tiredness that we usually feel after a long drive.
Shape: Again, I have no knowledge as to what the ideal shape and design of the car should be and how it can be judged. But I found the shape of the Zest very much to my liking. It is simple yet pleasing.
So here was a complete layman’s point of view of experiencing Tata’s Zest.
P.S: The above review features both the diesel and petrol versions of the car. The diesel car appeared smoother than the petrol one. Apart from this, the rest of the points are applicable to both. The important factors of price and mileage aren’t disclosed yet by the makers.
