Forces of nature :fire

Bonfire @ Gokarna

The first bonfire i made on a beach ..ever.. could i miss this opertunity to click some pics!!!

I had to walk for some 5 kms to get ma camera to click this one… that too at 1a.m.  in the night… but who cares till the time you get snaps like this… not every day you get a snap like this!!

one of the most beautiful snaps i clicked

Heaven on Earth !!!

I reached this place almost by mistake… this happened in gokarna… we were trekking .. i took the wrong path… were getting late for the train.. couldnt stay here for too long… though would have loved to be here till the eternity.. the first thought that came to my mind was simply…. “heaven on earth..”

Otsustasin lõpuks korralikult välja magada ning tublilt lõõgastumise, mittemidagitegemise ja ehk ka kirjutamisega tegeleda. Kohvi ja kitkati sheik ühes käes, raamat teises, parem jalg maast võrkkiigele hoogu andmas.

Soundtrack: Morcheeba – The Sea.

Uus sõna  minu s6navaras: shanti – mis tähendab vaikset, rahulikku, lõõgastunut vms.

Taas varajane ärkamine, et varastel hommikutundidel jahedas jalutada. Tundub aga, et siin läheb palavaks veelgi varem kui Goas – juba kella 9paiku hommikul. Suundusime Liamiga põhjapoole Kudley randa ja Gokarna linnakese poole. LP-s kirjutati, et sinna viib kitsas kaljuteekene ning tõepoolest läks mööda mäekülge kitsas rada, mis nõudis hulka ronimist ning ähvardas mahalibisemisega. Viisteist minutit ronimist hiljem lõppes tee lihtsalt otsa, nii et pidime ümber pöörama ja tagasi ronima hakkama. Mulle on kohe kombeks valesid kaljupealseid teeotsi valida(nagu Hampiski)! Tegelik rada kulges pisut kõrgemalt ning oli märksa sujuvam. Päev oli nii kuum, et higistasin ilmselt paar kilo enda seest välja. Kudley beach tundus sama vaikne ja mahajäetud kui Om-gi, veel 20min kõnnaku järel Gokarna linnake paistis pealtvaates pisikese külana, kuid osutus lähemalt uurides palju elavamaks linnakeseks. Tuntud palverändurite kogunemiskohana, vooris mööda tänavaid erinevais kostüümides munki, templitesse sisenemine valgetele keelatud.

Teisel päeval ei tundunud Om-il vedelemine enam arusaamatuna, sellise kuumusega on see olek eriti hästi omaksvõetav.

Olin ilmselt päeval liiga vähe vett joonud ja vaieldamatult liiga palju päikese käes viibinud, sest mind ründas vihane dehüdratsiooni-peavalu.

Gokarna is a small village in the uttara kannada region. If you are looking for a break from a mad city or just regular life, it is a wonderful place to be.  It is ~480 kms from Bangalore. Weather report a couple of days before the travel indicated slight showers but we decided to go anyways.

How To Get there

There are very fews options to reach there. One is by bus, Seabird Tourists and VRL are the only options. If you wish to go via flight, then the nearest airport is in Mangalore. Then again you are 180 kms from the place and have to go by bus.

We went there by Seabird tourist sleeper bus and i should say it was quiet comfortable. We departed from Bangalore thursday night and my heart sank when i saw it drizzling when the bus stopped in Sirsi for a break. Still 80 kms from Gokarna i did expect the weather to get better since it was queit far away.  The road between sirsi and Gokarna through the mountains and it is really unconfortable experience. However you can manage in the sleeper bus. We reached there at around 9:30 AM and headed straight to Namaste Cafe near the Om Beach. It was slightly drizzling but that disappointment was well shawdowed by the view of the sea and tides which i have not seen for like a decade. My childhood memories of my visit to rameswaram with my grand parents and parents really came back to me.

Friday was not all that depressing despite all the rain. Slight drizzle and a beach on the full moon day.  What more could one ask for ! Our intension behind the trip was the temple in Gokarna which has a lot of significance for the Hindus.

People can easily misinterpret your trip to be trek and beach. However, you also get carried away for a while after you get there.  Being completely ignorant of the place and tourist sites there, we started gathering more information about the places to visit in and around the area and awaiting a sunshine. That never happened ! After spending almost 4 hrs doing nothing on that beach, we went to Gokarna to see the temple and the local god Shri Mahabaleswar. The temple is nearly 8 kms from the Om Beach. The beaches are not for swimming, they are very turbulent and dangerous. It is said that the god is fully available for darshan every 25 years only and that is next year ! The temple was not all that crowded.  After coming back we had dinner beach side in the cafe and it is expensive and is not all that great ! But to say it is fun ….

Saturday morning we woke late. Come on, what do you expect, beside the beach and rainy weather. We hired a cab and went to Murudeswar Temple and on our way saw the Devaki Krishna temple. Murudeswar beach was very rough. The view ghats seen alongside NH7 were awesome and is worth taking some snaps i should say ! The road was though the highly vegitative places and all the greenary gave us some +ve thought that our trip was a total waste at all … It is just another view point.

Sunday was the day of fun, we went trecking to Gokarna beach via Kundli beach. 8 kms of all fun ! The beach beside the OmBeach is the Kundli beach with a mountain separating them. You can trek, it is not too slippery even after the rain. I assume it will be even better in the dry seasons. This beach is very long and isolated but an excellant place to chill out in. You can cross this beach and cross the other mountain you will see the wide Gokarna beach. All the three beaches are not for swimming. We missed however the half moon beach and the paradise beach. They are great places to see a sunset. We were not fortunate enough to see the sunset this time because of the cloudy weather. The end of this trek is beside the temple in Gokarna and it was a great experince i can carry forward with.

After all the fun, it was really sad going back to the crowded bangalore, what to do ! I gotta earn right ..

Fishing for compliments

Kids in Bombay Duck smelling village

The train journey down to Gokarna was fantastic with amazing scenery all around and so many perfect pictures to be taken.  We have had an excellent few days down in Gokarna meeting lots of good people from all over the world.  Arek the Polish dog whisperer, Joachim, Ben, Amy, Billy and Adam have been excellent company for the last few days.

We stayed on Om beach and went trekking over the hills to the beaches along the coast.  We stopped off at Paradise beach for the best Chai I have ever tasted from these 2 guys who were living on the beach with their goats.  The new main image of us all jumping in the air was taken on Paradise beach.  Unfortunately I had to take the picture as we had a large number of failed attempts by the Chai sellers that only showed either two hands or everyones’ feet.

After having a last night celebration with too many kingfisher beer and too many rum and cokes we had to bid farewell to Gokarna.  Getting up at 5 am this morning with a hangover after getting to bed at 2.30am was tough and got steadily worse when our taxi didn’t turn up and we got a lift on the back of a truck and then spent the next 11 hours on a bus.  The bus was just a local village bus that went through what felt like most of the villages in rural India.  Each stop was great as a new weird and wonderful food would be passed up to the window ready for the brave to try (the smoked sausage flavoured biscuits were definitely an aquired taste).  Jo also had a very artistic henna tattoo that I am sure she will tell you about and I will try and photograph it for you.  Met some lovely people on the bus especially Laxmi who I will let Jo talk about. Her rendition of Like a Virgin was very good.

Arrived in Hampi this evening and the place is uneblievably beautiful.  Most of it is a world heritage site and full of these ancient ruins of temples and these amazing boulders and stones.  I will post some pictures tomorrow.

After a delicious dinner we also got involved in a wedding party, dancing with the band as they wound their way through all of the streets of Hampi to end up just outside our guest house.  Jo did some crazy dancing in the main wedding celebration but I fear she may be regretting not wearing a bra. I will endeavour to track down the video and post it.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback on the big flip flop debate I may be closer to reaching a decision and will be trying to source the Kenyan Akala flip flops sas well as testng a pair of Havianas (thanks Lisa TH and Humby).

We have movd on from Palolem and Bhakti Kutir and are now down in Gokarna.  We came down by train yesterday and paid the huge sum of 15 rs (less than 20p) for the one and a half hour journey.

Gokarna is lovely its a pilgrims town and full of temples and holy men.  We are staying at Om beach which is about 45 mins walk from the town. Very chilled out place and met lots of good people. Its lovely sitting down to dinner with people from Antwerp, Krakow, Lyon and Dorset.

Spent the day reading and walking and have just wandered down into town to catch up with the world online.

Hope everyone is fine and and well.

International Charter 

for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)®

Under the Founding Charter, Holy blessings,
Royal Patronage, Guidance and the Leadership of

His Holiness Shree Shree Jagadguru

Shree Shankaracharya

Srimad Raghaveshwara Bharathi Maha Swami Ji

HH Lord President of ICIC

ICIC is also in the process of formulating a model International law for the protection of Indigenous Cows. In this process our aim is to bring all like minded individuals, institutions, organizations and Governments under one roof for the purpose.

The International Charter for Indigenous Cows has its Main seat and International Head Quaters in Gokarna (State of Karanataka, India).

Main Objectives of the Organization include the following:

1. Protecting, propagating, Popularizing and promoting the Indigenous Cows, its breeds, its race and its Movement throughout the World.

2. To establish, promote, propagate and to administrate its Articles as a model International law for the protection, propagation and promotion of Indigenous Cows.

3. To collect, research, preserve and to digitalize all the information and technologies related to Indigenous Cow and its related aspects.

4. To organize and to work with all like minded individuals, institutions, Organizations, IGO’, NGO’ and Governments for achieving its noble objectives and to bring them under one roof for the purpose.

The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC) is an exclusive International Organization which is Non-Religious, Not-for-Profit, Voluntary and charitable in nature. The ICIC is completely a money free organization and is fully dedicated to the noble cause of Indigenous Cows.

 This is an International Mass Movement to Protect Native Cows, their breed and their race throughout the World.

Please feel free to contact for any kind of clarifications/suggestions and feedback: Sen. Dr. Harikumar Pallathadka, General Secretary & Coordinator of the Charter at our email address: indigenouscows@gmail.com, indigenouscows@in.com

© 2008, 2009 “All Rights Reserved” by International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)®. 

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International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)The International Charter for Indigenous Cows (ICIC)

Used up most of my Airmiles on a couple of flights to Mumbai. Thanks to BA for the free flights. We land in Mumbai on 1st May. I have the feeling it is going to be rather hot.

Any suggestions on things to see / do in Mumbai would be much appreciated.

We plan to head down to Goa and Gokarna from Mumbai. I guess by train and then spend a couple of weeks there.

Ideas much appreciated.

After Hampi, aware we were fast running out of time, we decided we needed one last town, before the bustle of Bangalore and the madness of Kolkata.  A new friend had recommended Gokarna, so we tooka train to Hubli, then jumped on a local bus to Gokarna.  Or actually to a nearby town, changed buses, then Gorkarna.  The whole day took about twelve hours.  Incredibly rocky roads, a soviet era bus with absolutely no suspension and a cowboy for a driver.  During the drive, we were doubting our decision and rubbing our necks.  But, as is often the case in India, it’s not the journey, it’s the destination that counts!

Gokarna (or Gokarn as most signs seem to say) is a small beachside town in Karnataka.  We didn’t know until we arrived, but a major festival was just beginning – huge chariots (2 storeys high) waited on the main street – after we left, they would be pulled along the main street, pelted with bananas, carrying gods.  As the festival got into full swing, we were kind of glad to miss the crescendo – it was getting more and more crowded and hectic, and it kind of didn’t feel like our place.  I still feel odd entering temples – I don’t share the belief (especially now!), so I feel a little like a trespasser (albeit welcomed).

Kudle Beach, Gokarna

Gokarna, too, is on the threshold of irreversible tourist-led chnange.  The beaches to the south of town are quickly becoming populated by guest houses, restaurants selling pizzas and pancakes and beer, women in bikinis facing the sunset doing yoga gyrations, young hopeful local boys selling necklaces… Not surprising, really – the intimate little coves are idyllic, the water (for India) crisp and blue-ish, the countryside green and pulsing with life.  The Goa of the future?   Still, the town itself has an incredibly strong and independant energy – a tangible spiritual intent, will, hope.  Even the sadhus seem genuine.  So, there may be hope for Gokarn.  Time will tell.

Tragically common sight, Gokarna

My last India post will be soon.  As I write now, it’s my last day here.  The relentless, smog-hazed Kolkata sun is setting, the internet cafe is crowded, another thali calls from Park Street somewhere.  My flight leaves in about 15 hours.  Rachael is already on her way home, via Thailand.  I miss her, the home we share, my friends, the drought and fire ravaged place that is deep inside me.  Next post will be Bangalore and some reflections, maybe even some photos (yes, 21st century slide night!)…

yep, that's the path

There were people pressing in all around me. The streets were full of men and women and children who were pushing through the mass, or patiently scuffling along with it. A young girl to my right jumped over the open sewage canal (there was just dried garbage at the bottom of it) to take a few steps along the wall of a shop, jump onto its front steps, and then push her way back into the crowd. She grabbed her mother’s hand and glanced down at the canal, careful not to fall into it. To my left was a long line, roped off by a yellow chord, leading into one of Gokarna’s many temples. People were wrapped around the block waiting in it, like thrill seekers standing in line for a roller coaster.

Yesterday Gokarna was throbbing with an influx of pilgrims who came from all over India to celebrate Shiva’s birthday. I’d left my haven of Om Beach to take the costal path into Gokarna—a three hour hike that was much more than I’d bargained for. There was a fork at the beginning of the path where an Australian man nicely suggested that I take the road because the foot path got ‘a bit rugged’ further ahead. My response was to chuckle, tighten my Tevas, and stick to the coast. To make a long story short, let me just say that never did I think the skills gleaned from climbing the rock wall in Palladium so many times my Freshman year would be so useful. At one point I had to use vines to pull myself up the side of an embankment because the way on the ocean rocks ended with an unclimbable vertical rock face. At another point I lost the path entirely and had to push through picker bushes and picker trees (which I was surprised to see existed) in the woods. I quickly learned to watch where I put my hands as well as my feet. And that when an Australian says ‘rugged’ he really means it.

My main reason for going into town was that I was running low on cash and there aren’t any ATMs out on these beaches, but I also wanted to see what the festival would be like. Tarps and big pieces of fabric were slung across the tops of the buildings to shade the people waiting in line to pay homage to their god. There was another time in my life that I had been in a river of people like this, but it was in the shade of skyscrapers instead of tarps—it was in midtown Manhattan, right around Christmastime. I was still in high school and, being new to the city, I was in awe at the number of people. A lane of the road had been shut to cars to make room for walkers, and I was still pressed up against the person in front of me.

Although these pilgrims in Gokarna were there for worship, and the shoppers in New York were there for good sales, I couldn’t help but see and even feel the similarity. It was a tradition, something to be excited about, something to do with the family. Our traditions just center around a different god- theirs Shiva, and ours the Dollar. But I think this can fall under the category of one of those ‘it doesn’t have to be that way’ things. After all, it’s the excitement of so many people being in one place all for the same reason, and the individual journeys that brought them there that really matters. The question is; why do our traditions tend to center on such a transient thing as money?

Viajar pela Índia NUNCA é fácil. Façam as contas: saí de Kudle Beach, estado de Karnataka, costa oeste da Índia, quase 14h00 do dia 5. Mais de vinte minutos de caminhada depois, cheguei na rodoviária de Gokarna e, às 14h45, peguei um ônibus até Kumta, que fica a uns 35km de Gokarna, viagem que dura uma meia hora.

Em Kumta, meu próximo ônibus atrasou quase uma hora (o que me ferrou legal mais na frente…): eram quase 17h00 quando o ônibus partiu rumo a Mangalore, e eram 21h40 quando chegou no seu destino. E por conta do atraso, perdi meu trem para Chennai por fatídicos 10 minutos… Nem estressei.

Na Índia, não adianta meeesmo estressar (toda vez que algo assim acontece, lembro imediatamente de uma frase que tem no meu guia: “expecting the unexpected – India rewards those who go with the flow”… e é a mais pura verdade. Adotei isso como um mantra…). Então, improvisei: vi que tinha um ônibus de partida para Bangalore, e pulei pra dentro dele. Cheguei em Bangalore por volta das oito da manhã do dia seguinte, e lá fui eu até outra rodoviária para pegar o ônibus das 10h00 para Chennai.

Eram mais de seis da tarde quando cheguei na rodoviária de Chennai, sem ter onde dormir. E só uma observação: Chennai ainda não era meu destino final! Primeiro pensei em dar uma olhada na rodoviária para ver se era possível dormir por lá mesmo, já que já fiz isso algumas vezes aqui na Índia. Além do mais, às 4h30 da manhã eu tinha que estar no aeroporto… mas eis que cheguei na rodoviária e descobri que era possível pagar Rs 100 para dormir numa espécie de alojamento (claro que separado entre homens e mulheres…).

Resolvi encarar, porque já estava viajando há mais de 24 horas direto, exausta, suja e faminta. Fui até um mercadinho fuleiro e comprei biscoitos, mel e água. Tomei um banho de balde e tentei dormir. Às três e pouco da matina, a velhinha indiana fofa que toma conta do dormitório feminino no turno da noite me acordou. Arrumei minhas coisinhas e fui esperar o ônibus noturno.

Não eram nem cinco da manhã quando cheguei ao aeroporto. Fiz o check-in e embarquei. O avião partiu às 7h30. Uma hora depois, o avião pousou em Colombo, capital do Sri Lanka. O aeroporto é melhor do que muito aeroporto de primeiro mundo, e isso me impressionou muito (depois eu conto mais sobre minhas impressões sobre o Sri Lanka…). Desembarquei, passei pela imigração, peguei minhas coisas e saí do aeroporto.

Peguei um ônibus que leva até a rodoviária em Negonbo, e de lá peguei outro ônibus até Kandy, segunda maior cidade do Sri Lanka, que fica no interior do país. Cerca de três horas depois, cheguei ao meu destino final.

Ainda demorei cerca de duas horas para achar uma pousada mais ou menos barata (isso não existe no Sri Lanka). Depois de mais de 48 horas de viagem, caí morta.

p.s.: e então você vai me perguntar: “mas onde foi que você se meteu de setembro até agora???”. Bom, para não deixar ninguém na mão, vou dando upload aos poucos nos posts que estão faltando, assim conseguirei cobrir a lacuna desses 5 ultimos meses…

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This post has been published in Club Mahindra blog. This is my 3rd post on Gokarna. Here’s my 2nd post and 1st post.

About Gokarna: An ancient beach town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, Gokarna has great religious significance as well. The town has 5 beaches – Gokarna, Kudle, OM, Half Moon and Paradise – in that order and with hills between the beaches. As such, it offers extremely good opportunity for beach treks. None of these beach treks surpass 30 minutes duration and provide exotic views of the sea from the hillocks. World seems to have stopped when you are here – beach hop, lay on the beach, jog, walk, eat at beach cafes, buy, drink, dance, write – do whatever but don’t rush. This is a place that rewards laziness. All these make Gokarna a great two day weekend getaway from Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai and Pune during Oct-Apr.

Carefool at OM Beach

Each beach in Gokarna is a lazy man’s paradise. Stay and eat at a beach side hack/cafe/hotel/resort. Lie on the  beach – on a bed-sheet with a hat over your face to avoid sun/eye-contact, or with the sun scorching your back. Or, read a book lying on a towel and in your bare minimum. And the best part, wear almost anything that you want (just that you have to wear something) – barmudas with sleepers, Alibaba pants and top, or a skirt of any shape and size.

There are five beaches in Gokarna – Gokarna, Kudle, Om, Half Moon and Paradise, in that order.

Gokarna Beach at Dusk

Gokarna Beach – It lies close to the town and is frequented by locals and tourists alike. The beach is close to the Mahabaleshwar Temple, a very old Lord Shiva temple that has an associated legend as well. At the beach, you can spot families, young and elderly couples, single and group travellers. It goes without saying – several fast food joints and the groundnut/balloon sellers adorn the shoreline. In the vicinity, you will find plenty of hotels, food joints and garments/puja shops. A word of caution here for tourists:  Avoid wearing skimpy clothes in the area. Since the ancient temple is nearby, this part of Gokarna is more of a pilgrim town than a beach town. You wouldn’t want to be an eye-sore for the locals just for your choice of clothes.

Kudle Beach

Kudle Beach – Is mostly frequented by foreigners and is almost a kilometer long, pretty wide as well. This gives you ample space to engage in the usual beach games, bonfires etc. Rocks, and plenty of them, adorn the sea shore. You’d find foreign tourists (mostly, but some Indians as well) staying in the shacks – sleeping, eating, drinking and reading.  I spotted the “Shantaram” being read atleast atleast thrice! King Fish delicacies are very tasty and are reasonably priced, in fact cheaper than most restaurants in Bangalore. The eateries play continental/Israeli music all the time. You could also beach trek from Kudle to Mahabaleshwar Temple.

OM Beach

OM Beach – This beach is around 20 minutes of an auto ride from the Gokarna bus stand. Certainly the best of the five Gokarna beaches, the beach derives its name from the Hindu religious symbol – OM, since its shape resembles that of the symbol. The ‘OM’ shape is pretty evident when you see the beach from the hillocks on the either side. However, the right side gives a better view than the left. Consequently, the picture you take would be mirror image of the OM symbol. The beach is the longest among the five beaches and is frequented by Indian and foreign tourists alike. You can stay at the Namaste Café which overlooks the OM Beach, or at any of the several shacks that are scattered around the beach. There is also the Swaswara resort as well, a hundred odd meters away from Om beach. There are three equidistant rocky patches at the beach. Two things you shouldn’t miss at OM – sitting atop each rock patch and the morning jog.

Half Moon Beach - Panorama

Half Moon Beach – It’s a tiny beach and can be reached by beach trekking from Om, or by paying INR 200 on a ferry boat. But the ferry ride wouldn’t allow you to spend much time at the beach. The beach has huge rocks as well. There’s a hut and you may as well get some food there. Once here lose yourself and merge with the tranquil surroundings.

Paradise Beach – The fifth and the last beach in the series, and it befits its name. You have to beach trek for about 20 min from Half Moon beach to reach Paradise beach. There are a couple of beach cafes as well.

Tips…

1. Be careful while swimming, as the sea is shallow at some places and there are several cases of death due to drowning reported every year here.
2. As usual, bargain hard with the sellers – beads sellers, clothes and accessories sellers, musical instruments sellers etc.
3. Take mosquito repellent and a bed-sheet with you.
4. Try beach trek – there are at least four options. If you can’t beach trek at all, you can see the beaches on a ferry boat – at INR 200 per head.
5. Take your swimwear with you – there aren’t too many beaches in India where you can wear them without being ogled. So, don’t miss this opportunity.
6. Don’t wear bikini at the Gokarna Beach – this may offend the local people and the police. But you may wear them at the other four beaches.
7. Don’t miss the morning jog at OM beach.

Gokarna, Karnataka : Gokarna Shri Mahabala Deva Temple started  publishing all its information worldwide through its newly launched website

http://srigokarna.org.

Gokarna Website Homepage

Gokarna Sri Mahabala Deva temple, located aside to the world famous Om-Beach, is under a complete renovation, done by Sri Ramachandrapura Matha, Hosanagara.

As the shivarathri function arrived soon, all the prepairation are going at the speed of light. Gokarna is all set to welcome millions of devotees from all over the world.

Click here for more information on the temple, and about the Shivaratri Celebration.

I guess it was stupidity to write a post about the first leg of my journeys when I knew, at the back of my mind, that I could not access the internet for more than a few minutes during these past 10 days. However, like all crimes of passion, I hope to be forgiven for what many would call “dangling a carrot.”

This vacation was perhaps the best I’ve ever had, second only to the trip to the North Pole that I took in my head last year. Here are a few excerpts of a journey that has given me more than a perfect start to the year.

Carter Road, Pani Puri And Twenty Balloons

Chaats On Carter Road

The first place I visited in Bombay was Carter Road, at night. I had skipped the food on the plane so that I could hog the roadside food here, and I was not disappointed. The chaats were a slice of heaven! Plate after plate of scrumptious chaats of pani and dahi and mouth-watering aloo. Oh wow, I had just died and entered heaven!

Fleeced By A Balloon Seller

My friend – let’s just call her Chump – pestered me to buy her balloons, and being someone who hasn’t bought balloons in over two decades, I was probably fleeced when I paid 200 bucks for 20 balloons!

Anyway, it made Chump happy.

Carter Road At Night

Carter Road was an awesome walk at night, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves in the distance, ogling at skimpily-clad women jogging and the incessant chatter of the people on the streets. It was a great start!

Marine Drive And  Long Island Iced Tea

Victoria Terminus

The next day saw us on Marine Drive after a particularly unsettling ride in the local train from a station called Goregaon to Churchgate. We walked all the way, looking the French Embassy, Victoria Terminus and other nice, tall buildings we couldn’t name.

Long Island Iced Tea!

We bumped into a few people on the way, tripped over a few puddles and finally, landed at this place called Not Just Jazz By The Bay. Three helpings of Long Island Iced Tea later, Chump and I were sloshed to the point of paying a random guy 250 bucks for 5 orchids!

The Bombay Marina, If That's What This Piece Of Beauty Is Called

We walked up Marine Drive in the heat of the day, sweating like pigs, and sat under a shade for a while, before grabbing a quick beer at a place that was ridiculously called Gaylords!

Totally exhausted by the time we reached home that night!

Bombay-Pune Expressway

Views From The Expressway

Like retards, we decided to hire an insanely expensive cab and drive down the beautiful Expressway between Bombay and Pune. I think it was worth it.

The road is simply wonderful and it was a thrill to just sit back and look at the unfolding scenery on either side of us, at almost 110 kmph! A colleague of mine, Nirali had given me a bag to drop of at her place in Thana, which lay on the way to Pune. We took the small detour and after a few minutes of hunting, found her house. The word house would be an understatement.

Rustic Scenes From The Bungalow

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city teeming with vehicles and people and pollution, the huge bungalow with it’s adjoining ancestral grounds came as a shockingly pleasant surprise. The only sounds we could hear were that of birds chirping, crows cackling and the innumerable trees rustling in the breeze.

After a meal fit for a king and a few insanely ridiculous moments when Auntie thought Chump and I were getting married, we bade goodbye, promised to visit again and went on our way, back to the Expressway, on to Pune.

The Wakdewadi Community

Chump With The Bakdewadi Boys

Making Rotis With The Kids!

Chump works for an NGO called Aakanksha, which aims at teaching kids from community slums the basics of the English language, maths, art and crafts, and basic social leadership skills. We visited the Wakdewadi Community, whose kids Chump had adopted as her own, figuratively speaking, and I discovered that no matter what the external conditions are, the kids are as perceptive and as brilliant than any other person, perhaps more.

They spoke to us in fluent English and regaled us of tales of how they had graduated, made their own resumes, found jobs and hoped and dreamed of a better tomorrow, all thanks to Chump and Aakanksha. Chump welled up more than once, and I was a meek spectator, trying not to open my mouth wide in surprise and admiration for the kids.

Clandestine Bangalore

Chump On My Brother's Drums

Chump was not supposed to come to Bangalore, but she did. We caught a flight to Bangalore from Pune and went to her brother’s place, who is a rockstar DJ in training. We came over to my house, watched my terrorist brother create magic on his drums, and wrapped Bangalore up with a visit to my office, with Chump meeting all my colleagues. It was a surreal moment for Chump, who was in Bangalore without having informed at home! As far as her mom was concerned, she was in Pune. It’s so easy to lie to parents, isn’t it?

Heaven-On-Earth – Gokarna

The Hippie Look

An overnight bus journey brought us on the very edge of the country – the shores of the mighty Arabian sea at Gokarna. I’ve been known to be the biggest proponent of Gokarna, and I’ve already expressed my wish to be buried at Gokarna once I die. I think Gokarna is the only place where I am at peace. Between chasing all the scum ogling at the short-skirted Chump and being at peace with tall glasses of hot tea, I thought this trip to Gokarna was perhaps the best.

My Sexy (Temporary) Phoenix Tattoo!

I bought a shark-tooth pendant, which looked really great until it broke off the next day and got a sexy tattoo on my hand, though a temporary one. I looked every bit the hippie with a kurta that had “Om” printed on it and sporting the tattoo and the shark tooth!

My parents absolutely detest the idea of me going to Gokarna, because they have this fear that I’d  waste my life away doping and smoking weed and drinking beer, so I made up this elaborate story that I was going to be in Chennai on an official visit, and that the tattoo and the shark-tooth were a result of an  outing in a beach in Chennai! Shit, I’m going straight to hell, right?

Margoa-Panjim-Pune-Bangalore-Madness!

The original plan was to catch a bus back to Bangalore on the 15th from Gokarna and be home in time for breakfast on the 16th. But, as it turned out, the trip being a completely unplanned one, Chump and I decided to go on the famed Goa-Gokarna road trip. We hired a cab and started the journey that lasted a good part of 4 hours and took us through some of the most breathtaking scenes nature had to offer, including the naval base at Karwar and the perilous curving ghats after that.

We reached Margoa at precisely ten to eight in the night, and realized that the last bus to Pune had left. There was a local ST (State Transport) bus  heading to Panjim and we hopped on to that one, and made the one hour journey to the capital of Goa.

We reached Panjim just in time to take a leak at a seedy public toilet, get a bottle of cold port wine and hop on to a waiting Volvo traveler bound for Pune. Once on the bus, half an hour into the drive, I asked Chump, “What am I doing on this bus? Wasn’t I supposed to go to Bangalore??”

So, eventually I did make it back to Bangalore the next day courtesy an evening flight from Pune, which I almost missed because I overslept.

In the cab back to my house from the airport, I smiled in satisfaction of having concluded a fantastic vacation – totally unplanned, utter disregard for logic and reason and most importantly, the freedom of being cut off from the rest of the world. It’s a heavenly feeling, trust me.

Of course, 560 unread emails (not all of them were decent) and a blog that was pouting at me at the lack of attention greeted me back home, alone with mom’s shocked expression at the shark tooth and the ghastly tattoo and dad’s “Tch tch” and my brother’s perceptive glance. I paid him some money to keep his mouth shut about Gokarna.

So, here it is – the long overdue post finally complete. If you have inured me till this sentence, then you have my gratitude! Time for me to catch up on my blogroll!

All the images used above are exclusively my own.

Film

Weer een jaar ouder, wijzer, slimmer en…. meer achter de rug. Veel opdrachten zijn in 2008 afgerond. Om een indruk te geven van het werk van UC Media in 2008 is de UC showreel in het leven geroepen: een korte compilatie van al het filmwerk van vorig jaar, in een paar minuten te bekijken!

UC Media Producties – Showreel 2008:

Contactgegevens:

UC Media Producties
Van Lieflandlaan 8
3571 AB Utrecht
The Netherlands
tel: +31 (0) 6 14 800 217
e-mail: ucmediaproducties@gmail.com
web: youseeuc.wordpress.com
photo: flickr.com/photos/ucmedia/

En la tardes, cuando el sol ya bajo hace refrescar las calles de Gokarna, las lavanderas salen con cubos llenos de ropas sobre sus cabezas. Prendas empapadas en el sudor del trópico, llenas de fina tierra roja, se purifican en las aguas del estanque. 

2 years back I had thought of doing the 5 beach trek in North Karnataka. Finally on 28th December 2008, I managed to do it. After the Goa Cycle Trek, on 26th we (Shyam & myself) browsed the internet for information. One post mentioned of starting from Bada Beach in Kumta and ending in Gokarna. We decided to start from Gokarna and end in Bada and started our journey to Gokarna. We hopped on to a bus from Panjim to Margao. From Margao we took a direct bus to Gokarna, fare Rs.75/-.
We rested on 27th, just walked around generally, enquired a bit and slept off.
On 28th December, we got up very early in the morning around 5:00am and started towards Gokarn Main Beach. We were there in the beach by 5:30am and due to lack of light all around waited till the first rays came. While waiting, the shops on Gokarn beach opened and I had a cup of tea.

Around 6:30am we started off. We walked till end of Gokarn beach, climbed up the hill and after clicking some photos continued the walk down the hill to reach Kudle Beach.

From Kudle repeated the same to reach Om Beach. This beach has the name for the shape of the beach. Its similar to the sanskrit character Om.

We reached Om beach by 8:00am and we were on schedule. Our plan was to complete the trek as fast as possible to avoid the heat later on. But it did not mean we will not have our pleasure.
From Om, our next halt was Cresent Beach. To get to Cresent was an easy climb. We took a wrong path and ended up putting in more effort than required. We met couple of guys who were staying over there for the night after a day’s trek.

The next beach is the Paradise beach. To reach this beach we had to climb over rocks and also jumped over few. Here we finished our breakfast. The rocks were not slippery though much to our delight.

The actual trek ends at Paradise Beach. This marks the 5 beach trek (Gokarn – Kudle – Om – Cresent – Paradise) as is usually written and told.
But due to mis-information we were on hunt for the Bada Beach. To reach Bada we have to reach a place called Tadir and then take a ferry to Agnashi. From there its about 10kms. We followed everything and walked all the way to Bada Beach. On reaching there it was quite evident why it could not be part of the trek. There were practically no one in the beach expect 5 localites and no shops nor shacks. By the time we reached Bada it was pretty hot and humid.

We finished our lunch sitting under the shades of trees and also slept for 30mins. Then we ventured into the waters. I dont think such an oppurtunity would come again were you are almost having the entire beach for yourself.
After washing ourselves we got back to the main road, took an over packed van to Kumta bus stand. From there bus to Gokarn.
To view all photos, click here.

The Mahamantra was led by Zivanji and family from Chicago.

Narayananji from Boston gave a short talk on the significance of satsang:

In Priyavrata’s charitra in Srimad Bhagavatam, the king’s great qualities are highlighted. After tgatm Sage Suka continues to narrate Priyavrata’s lineage. His son was Nabhi and Nabhi’s son was called Rishaba. Rishaba Yogeeshwara was a personification of dispassion. He gave away his entire kingdom to his sons and wandered from place to place like true renunicate.
Bharatha was his eldest son who ruled our land and hence the name Bharata Desha.
In today’s satsang, let us reminisce the other nine sons who were great Yogishwaras themselves – Kavi, Hari, Antariksha, Pippalayana, Prabuddha, Avirhotra, Drumila, Chamasa and Karabhajana. Once these nine great men showed up at the court of King Nimi, who ruled over the Videha kingdom. They shared their pearls of wisdom at the sacrifice in Nimi’s court, which forms part of the eleventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam that speaks about the greatest truths.
Nimi welcomed them and said,
“Durlabho Manusho deho dehinaam kshanabanguraha
Thatrapi durlabam manyae vaikunta Priya darshanam”
King Nimi says that it is very difficult to be blessed with a human birth, and even when thus blessed is highly fleeting. However, the rarest of all is to have the darshan of someone who is a realized soul.

He further goes to say,
“…samsaaresmin kshanaardhopi satsangah sevadhir nrunaam”
In this world of mundane desires, even half a moment of true satsang is precious, he says. A satsang is either the association with a realized soul or a place where the Divine Names and glories of God are spoken about. Our Friday satsangs are examples.

Then, Zivanji lectured on the importance of Srimad Bhagavatam as seen in Padma Purana. He quoted the story of Atmadeva to outline the glory of Srimad Bhagavatam.

On the banks of Tungabdra river, lived a well learned person by name Atmadeva. He was good natured person, while on the contrary, his wife, Dunduli always liked to talk about others and cause chaos in other families. The fact that he was not blessed with a child made Atmadeva a very sad man. He performed Putra Kameshti Yagna and other rituals, but of no avail.
Atmadeva lived with a ray of hope that someday he will be blessed with a child. However, as years passed by, his hopes started to diminish and one day unable to control his emotions, set out of the house. He didn’t know where he was going and finally reached a jungle. He was sitting under a tree and there was a beautiful river in front of a tree. After some time, he saw a sage taking a dip in that river. His eyes caught sight of Atmadeva and seeing him in a very depressed state walked towards him and enquired about him. As we all know, Sadhus are compassion personified and seeing the Sadhu, Atmadeva couldn’t control his emotions told all about him. After hearing his desire to be blessed with a child, he started to perceive if he was fortunate to have a child in that birth.

Thus Sanatkumaras narrate the glory of the Bhagavata Saptaham to Sage Narada.

The satsang ended with prayers and Namasankirtan.