The weekends here again... i was up really early this sunday only coz i had planned to go for a nice walk in the forest armed with my cam, its 2 o clock in the morning...the sun is out...(eerrr!! ok its 2 PM, afternoon and it is quite early in the day for me especially since its a weekend... yeah da praveen i knw i am a loser so stop grinning!!). Anyways, let me go further with the story before it gets too late. Its a nice weather for a trek in the woods. No the sun aint out, the sky aint blue, the birds aint chirping and nor am i happy bout getting outta bed this damn early in the day. But i have been wanting to check out BOSBAAN for quite a while so picked today. Why today? Anything auspicious bout it? Ofcoouurrseee... its diwaaalli. Well!! that wasnt the reason but yeah whatever.. A quick shower, some cream on my tattoo (yeah yeah !! on my tattoo... woohoo.. for all those who donno... its been a week since i am sportin that babbhay on ma arm and it feels good), grab ma cam, put on ma gogs and head off to Amstelveen Bus station to get the 172 to a place whose name i cant spell. As i get off the bus, a cold (freaking cold) breeze blows into ma face and skies open up just then with tiny drops of rain suddenly filled the sky - yes there is some one who wakes up after me, its The RAIN GODS.I then carried on towards the woods, not really sure in which direction to go (it happens at times to me, i suddenly get clueless and my sense of direction decides to take a nap. But its just a one off thingie - right Jinwin...eeerrmm Gotigere!! whazzat??) Phoophhh!!! finally reached the lil road that leads into the forest. It dint look quite appealing to me at the beginning i mus confess but yeah once i made my way through the trees, over lil bridges, crossing small streams and canals the virtue of nature began to show its greatest features. The rain had stopped (not for long tho) and the sun had come out smiling looking all happy and gay (ooh ohh!! imagine the sky turning all grey and saying "my sun's gay. I think its time to moon (read as mourn)" Ppl who thought that was a bad joke kindly press "Alt F4" - and no! ANU u couldnt do better, so stop patting yourself on the back) The Bosbaan is quite a mysterious place. I say mysterious coz u wudnt have no clue what its gonna have at the next turn around the big oak tree. One moment you ll be walking all by yourself in the middle of no where, happily whistling to urself, the bees buzzing, the mud gathering on ur shoes but the very next moment you ll end up right in front of a huge play field with children screeching, people playing with their dogs, a hoard of horses waiting to give a ride and everything else you wouldnt expect in the middle of nowhere. You wouldnt believe but if you keep walking further and further into the forest u ll even see an amphitheatre. Whats an amphitheatre doing in the middle of a forest? i donno... so dont ask me...theres even a restaurant (ya da pappu now u start reading) The best part of the forest is that you signs showing you the way out (aaaah!!! how lucky was I).After around 8-10 kms of walking (i know the distance coz the signboards had the distance written on them), loads of pics, a few insect bites, and scratches from a few bushes/shrubs i walked out into the city a very happy man (coz i was outta there and on my way back to the comforts of my warm bed and thick blanket).. yeah yeah!! u think this story has an happy ending... think again... not this one... I happened to get out of the wrong side of the jungle (the OTHER SIDE)... so lets just leave it at that.
sayonara!!!
Monday, October 23, 2006
Sunday, October 01, 2006
With Love from Allahabad
"... kidhar jaaoge saab?" was what the old man in white asked me. Chewing on a paan, or what i thought was a paan atleast, could have been just plain supari (beetlenut) or ghutka.I appeared to be a very likely customer, probably his first for the day. It was 9:30 on a monday morning in the bustling streets of Bombay, not exactly the place i wanted to be at this time of the day, but there wasnt anyone around i could complain to. "Haan Bhaiya... Fort area jaana hain. Chaloge?""Zaroor" came the quick response. I had my Visa appointment at 12. Leaving a little to early from home?? i dont think so... didnt quite want to take the chance in bombay... no no no!!! Also needed to get a few snaps clicked of myself.... for the visa. Dont worry i am not into self photography or anything.Quickly i got into the Taxi told him all the possible stops i wanted to make, and the man was on his way. It was going to be a long day i reckoned, with the traffic moving at a snails pace, the heat killing and the humidity kept reminding me of the cold luxurious shower i had in the morning.
"Toh Saab aap Mumbai ke ho?" he inquired. "Bangalore" i replied "Bangalore se aaya hoon.. office ke kuch kaam se""Kya kaam karte hain aap??service ya khud ka business hain?" he asked, as his thick white eyebrows turned into question marks. The question and answer session continued for quite a while. My taxi driver was from Allahabad and had moved to Bombay ever since he can remember and has been here till day. His first job he says is the best he could ever have got. Meeting new people, seeing places, and doing what he liked best... driving. Yes!! Hes been a cab driver all his life....errmm i mean obviously after 18. A few things u ought to know about Bombay... the spirit of the city, the trains, the wada paavs, the dabawaalas and the taxis. Over the next one and a half hours, as we passed the worli seaface, the famous haaji ali, heera panna - the shoppers nest, chowpatty, waves at the marine drive the man churned out stories after stories. questions after questions. Showed me all the places i had never even heard off, places i never even think about going to..."toh saab, bangalore mein bhi taxi hogi?" he asked with interest, bringing a big smile to my face as i answered his question in the affirmative. It wasnt long before i reached Forbes building. Taxi Chacha (lets just call him dat) said he would wait for me as it was just a matter of half an hour... i had mentioned to him somewhere in our conversation earlier that i had just an hours job at the consulate and then would be getting back to the same place i had boarded his cab in the morning.
...to be continued
"Toh Saab aap Mumbai ke ho?" he inquired. "Bangalore" i replied "Bangalore se aaya hoon.. office ke kuch kaam se""Kya kaam karte hain aap??service ya khud ka business hain?" he asked, as his thick white eyebrows turned into question marks. The question and answer session continued for quite a while. My taxi driver was from Allahabad and had moved to Bombay ever since he can remember and has been here till day. His first job he says is the best he could ever have got. Meeting new people, seeing places, and doing what he liked best... driving. Yes!! Hes been a cab driver all his life....errmm i mean obviously after 18. A few things u ought to know about Bombay... the spirit of the city, the trains, the wada paavs, the dabawaalas and the taxis. Over the next one and a half hours, as we passed the worli seaface, the famous haaji ali, heera panna - the shoppers nest, chowpatty, waves at the marine drive the man churned out stories after stories. questions after questions. Showed me all the places i had never even heard off, places i never even think about going to..."toh saab, bangalore mein bhi taxi hogi?" he asked with interest, bringing a big smile to my face as i answered his question in the affirmative. It wasnt long before i reached Forbes building. Taxi Chacha (lets just call him dat) said he would wait for me as it was just a matter of half an hour... i had mentioned to him somewhere in our conversation earlier that i had just an hours job at the consulate and then would be getting back to the same place i had boarded his cab in the morning.
...to be continued
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