Snap of the Week #8

Shopping is what I did whole week! This stop at Crossword, Mangalore is my favorite of all. One word - Paradise!

PS: Linking this post to Eloquent Articulation #SnapYourWeek #13.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love, 

Swathi :)

Mangalore Memories #2

       I wrote yesterday in Mangalore Memories #1 about how I had ended up boarding the wrong bus. As promised, here is the rest of the story.

       I had boarded the bus at 8:30 am, hoping to reach by 1:30pm. But thanks to my high alertness negligence, now I would reach by 3:30 pm. I wanted to get down and change bus but that was not possible as I had already paid for the ticket (That too 75/- extra as it was a long route) So I sat looking out of the window, trying to think something different. Here is how my time went:

8:30 am

       The bus was going in a wrong route! Was this the right bus? What if I have boarded a wrong one? *Check the ticket* Destination is same! Then another thought stuck! What if these people are kidnapping me! I agree, I have a very creative mind to think like this :P Then a cross checking with mom confirmed what was the mistake.

8:45 am

       As the word of my blunder got out, I started getting calls. Mom, dad, uncle, my brother - they all started calling me. Mom even asked if I was sure I mentioned my destination correctly. I was getting irritated and also was feeling embarrassed.  This incident would be remembered every time I would travel somewhere. 

9:30 am

       Once the initial phone calls ended, I tried t push away the embarrassment and decided to enjoy the journey. Just 2 hours extra; no big deal! I plugged in my earphones and started listening to music. As the rock music played, I could feel my mood brightening slowly.

10:00 am

       Just when my mood was getting better, the bus stopped. There was a long line of vehicles in front of us. After enquiring, we got to know that a tree had fallen and thus the held up. It will be a few minutes before the bus could move again! There went my good mood!! To stop my mood from worsening again, I took out the novel I had brought and started reading it.

10:30 am

       The bus finally started moving. Yay! But within few minutes, we witnessed an accident scene. A bike had crashed with a jeep. Seeing the rider laying in the pool of blood, I felt nauseous! I couldn't read the book further. The murder mystery in it no longer held my interest.

11:30 am

       I had tried to sleep but couldn't. So I was listening to music again. A guy came and sat at the other end of the seat. The seat between us was empty and he had kept his bag there. After a few minutes, he moved his bag to the other end and sat beside me. He tried to make conversation but I refused to acknowledge him, pretending I didn't hear. But he wasn't giving up. So reluctantly I spoke a few words. But within a few minutes, situation had turned so that I had warned him through gritted teeth that if he tried any more tricks, I wouldn't mind hitting him! He left after that. Phew!

12:30 pm

       Something was tickling my left foot. I bent over and to my horror, saw it was a tiny baby cockroach!! One was on my foot and there were three more wandering around! It was a wonder I didn't scream or stand up on the seat. I just moved to another seat and this time, didn't opt the window seat. What had I got myself into!

1:00 pm

       Mom called to ask how was the journey. Now that she had calmed down, she was making fun of me. When I complained, she said "Get used to it. You are going to hear more once you reach Mangalore" That's when I realized the truth. My cousins were going to have fun at my expense.  I started cooking up excuses.

"I wanted to meet at friend in Chikmagaloor. So I took this route"

"I wanted to see which was the other route, you know general knowledge"

"I wanted to roam some more, before coming here"

       I spent the next one hour thinking about various excuses.

2:00 pm

       I was hungry! The bus had stopped for lunch few minutes ago and they had given 10 mins but I was afraid I couldn't make it back and thus had opted not to go. But now I was hungry. I just had one chocolate in my bag and I was opening it when the woman sitting in the front seat threw up. I lost my appetite.

2:30 pm

       The bus was moving in a ghat section. My excuse about taking this route to avoid the ghat section was void now. The driver was driving like a manic. He almost crashed into a lorry, twice! I clutched the rod tightly to avoid falling off and prayed to God, asking his help to  reach my destination alive and in one whole piece!

3:00 pm

       I had no clue where I was! There was no network either. I was feeling so bad. The conductor walked past me at that moment. He smirked every time he saw my face! I was so angry with him for not telling me the truth before. At that moment, the urge to punch his smirking face was the strongest!

3:30 pm

       My uncle had reached the bus stand and I still had no clue where I was. I was feeling entrapped. I wanted to plead them to let me go. I was ready to even crawl all the way to Mangalore, if that was what I should do to reach there. Calls were coming again, asking me where the hell I was; as if I had a clue!

4:00 pm

       Finally, we were close to Mangalore! The sign board said 10 kms. I felt like dancing. 

4:15 pm

       I ran to my uncle when the bus stopped. I had never felt so free in my life as I had felt when I had stepped out of that bus! "Are you hungry?" he asked. At that moment I could have ate anything he gave but all I said was "Just take me home first. I can't believe I was so stupid"

       I swear I am never going to board any bus from now on without checking twice. Yes, I was ridiculed once I reached home but behind that, I could see the concern for me. So I decided not to use the excuses and let them have their share of fun.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Mangalore Memories #1

       I had one interesting tiring day today. My day started with excitement as I was leaving for my cousin's home in Mangalore and at the end of the day, I am happy that I have reached. But what happened in between is a different story! One that taught so many lessons to me; of course embarrassing me in the process.

      If things are supposed to go wrong, then they will most certainly go so! There is nothing or no one that can stop them from happening. I guess that is the reason I stopped my mother from coming to bus stand to see me off. If she had come, then I would have boarded the right bus and saved some embarrassment. But as I said, things were supposed to go wrong and I told mom that I would go alone. And thus started the series of events I could have otherwise avoided. Here is what happened.

       I took an auto from home till bus stand and as soon as I got off from the auto, I saw a bus leaving for Mangalore. I boarded it hurriedly and the conductor asked 'Where to?' I said Mangalore and there was a slight shock and smirk on his face. I chose to ignore it and took a window seat in a three seat row as soon as he gave me my ticket. The bus started in five minutes. My uncle had asked me to call and inform him by which bus I will be coming and so I did. He asked the bus name and I just said 'No name. It's a government bus' I could sense his hesitation when he said "Oh! Then maybe you will reach late" I just said I will inform him and sat watching the scenery outside the window. I have been to Mangalore many times, so I knew the route. That is why when the bus took a different route, I started panicking.

       The route was that of Bangalore. I asked my brother who was chatting with me on Whats App whether this was the right route. He had left a week before and when he said it wasn't, I started to panic. I checked my ticket and sure enough, it said Shimoga to Mangalore. Then what was wrong? Mom called at that moment, reading the message I had sent saying I have boarded a government bus. As soon as I picked the call, she started shouting. "Don't you know it takes a detour? You will have to sit for few extra hours before you reach! And the ticket amount is more too! Ask the conductor and tell me what time you will reach!" So that was the reason for the different route! I asked what time we would reach Mangalore and the conductor said 3:30 pm! Two hours more than that of a private bus! It was just a beginning of the dreadful series of events that would follow. I braced myself and looked out of the window, trying to find at least something positive in the whole situation.

       What happened next? I will tell you tomorrow ;) Right now, all I can tell you is it will be fun to read!

Until the next post,
Keep Smiling :)

Love,
Swathi :)

Melbourne - The Most Livable City

       To be honest, I wasn't really in love with Melbourne. Though I always wanted to travel a lot of places, I really had no idea which these places were. All I knew was I wanted to travel far and wide. That was my dream. And still is. But now if you remind me that I wasn't really in love with Melbourne, I will look at you like you are the craziest person I have ever met. Yes! While I was searching for places to visit in Melbourne, I slowly started falling in love with the city and now, I definitely want to visit this place at least once in this lifetime! Let me tell you why.

Melbourne is one of the most livable city in the world. It is the capital of the state Victoria. The friendliness and welcoming nature of this city is evident by the number of people from other countries settled there. The beautiful landscapes, the awesome beaches and the brilliant weather; they all make me want to go to this most livable city, to feel more lively than ever. Maybe my dream will be fulfilled someday. Here are some of the places I wish to visit.

The first one that caught my interest is 'The Great Ocean Road'. It is a 243 kilometers stretch of road along South-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torguay and Allansford.

See that? Imagine driving along that road in a car with rooftop open. How awesome it must feel to watch the ocean as you drive along this 243 kilometers road. A deep longing goes through me 

even as I imagine myself driving along this path. Then there are the 12 Apostles. They say these apostles began forming from constant erosion of limestone millions of years ago and the sunrise and sunset are especially beautiful at this place when they change colors according to the sunlight. Here is a video that shows the 12 Apostles from the sky.

Next on my list is the Penguin Parade. Have you ever seen Penguin? In real? I haven't! I have always been fascinated watching them over TV but never have I seen them in real. So I want to visit 'Penguin Parade' which is one of the popular wildlife attraction in Australia. Watching several penguins emerge from the sea around sunset and watching them march towards their sand dunes must be a spectacular scene.

Then there is the 'Princess Theatre'. This is one of the most spectacular landmarks of Melbourne. But this isn't the only reason. It is said that this theatre is is haunted by a friendly ghost and since I read that, curiosity has got the better of me. I have to visit this theatre once.

Next is 'Eureka Tower'. It is 975 ft. skyscraper. Even though I am scared of heights, I am definitely going to pay for the skydeck experience. I want to go on 'The Edge' which is a glass box 3 meters out of the building, almost 300 meters above the ground. Imagine the thrill! It's pure adrenaline rush. It will be once in a lifetime experience.

Oh I forgot! 'Peninsula Hot Springs'. It is said to be the first natural spring and day care spa in Victoria, just 1.5 kms from Melbourne. Just imagine soaking in this heavenly place, letting the healing waters work the magic as you relax! Too good to let go, isn't it? 

       

Would you think I would return back without shopping? Of course not! I would like to visit Harbour town which offers a variety of options for the shopaholics and I would spend a whole day here, exploring different sections, buying gifts for friends and family and some souvenir for myself, like I am taking a part this place with me to my home. Of course, if offered a choice to settle down in Melbourne, I would agree without second thought.

No no, I am not even done with all the places I want to visit. The list is long. Yarra Valley Wineries, Bolte Bridge, Melbourne Cafes, Melbourne Aquariums, Healesvile Sanctury, Dandenong Ranges National Park, Shrine of Remembrance, Luna Park... The list goes on. Oh, I want to travel on the trams too and ride on a hot air balloon. There is so much I want to see and do in Melbourne. I just hope I get an opportunity to go there soon. 

Do you wish to visit Melbourne too? Here is a site that would help you know more about Melbourne. Tell me which of these places you wish to visit and why? Comment below and you might win a shopping voucher worth 500/-. So what are you waiting? Go on, voice your opinions fast.

PS: This post is written for What's the reason for falling in love with Melbourne, the most livable city in the world? on Indiblogger.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Escape into Fantasy Land!

       Travelling has always been the love of my life, as much as music and novels are. In fact, if I can get these three at once, travelling around the world with earphones on and some amazing novels to carry with me, I would feel I have lived my life to the fullest. But it's always been dad who planned the trips and the ones I didn't go with family were the ones arranged by schools and colleges. Never did I get a chance to plan my own trip and travel on my own terms. Of course I do love my family and friends a lot but sometimes breaking rules and having fun is an exciting experience in itself. So I decided that I would go on a trip to Singapore with my best friend and this time, I would plan it on my own.

         I was super excited. I started making list of the places I wanted to visit. The marvelous Sentosa Island, The Art Science Museum, Universal Studios, Marine Life Park, Underwater World, Escape Theme Park, Wild Wild Wet Water Theme Park and what not!! The list would go on but I decided to restrict the list to these places. I didn't have much time in Singapore after all! The places were decided and now was the arrangements part that was left.

         

       But as they say, the grass on the other side always looks greener. The same happened with me. All the excitement waned off as I started planning this trip. There was so much to be done! Planning a perfect date and booking flights, finding hotels and cabs to aid our journey, expenses to be managed and what not! Soon enough my spirit was dampened and I almost gave up this whole planning thing! Almost! Then came an angel in my life who held my hand and guided me through everything with great expertise and ease - Sky Scanner. Flights, hotels, cars and buses; name it and Sky Scanner has it all! We instantly became best of friends.

      "First things first. For how many days you want to stay?" asked the Sky Scanner Wizard. I calculated the days I would be able to spare with the budget I had in hand. After lot of thinking and discussion, we decided to keep it to 5 days and 4 nights. Once the number of days and dates were decided, I booked the flights. I just had to name the place and dates, and within seconds the Sky Scanner Wizard had listed number of flights, at different times and different rates. It also helped me to select the best available rate. So with this, the journey, both to and from was booked with ease.

First I selected the destination and the dates. Also the number of travelers.

Then it listed the options I have as per my requirement.

I selected the best one

       So after booking tickets both ways, I had Rs.64,071.82 left in my hands. So next came another big decision to make. Where to stay? Since we were only two girls going all by ourselves, I wanted to make sure the hotel was good and in the center of the city. So after looking at all the options, and if I might add drooling over all the awesome choices the wizard had offered, I selected the one that was both good and fit in our budget. The wizard smiled over the wise choice made by me.

These were some of the amazing hotels we saw

This hotel in particular appealed to me a lot and it fit into our budget as well

The hotel we selected had following facilities. I totally loved it.

       This hotel, named Days hotel at Singapore, is at 4.9 miles from the airport I would be arriving. So it seemed a wise choice. Also it was just 85m away from the center and had a good review of 7.8/10. All in all it appeared as an ideal choice. This costed me Rs. 24,864 for my 4 nights stay. At first we had decided to stay in a hotel with less cost but soon we wanted to enjoy all the luxury we could. So why not? Thus the hotel was selected and I was left with Rs. 39,207.82. "Not bad" said the wizard.

       Since we were going on our own, we were supposed to go on sight seeing all by ourselves. We debated a lot about bus and cars, then finally decided to hire a car. We hired Toyota Corolla Altis from rentalcars.com. They agreed to pick us up daily at 8 am and drop us by 8:30 pm for the 5 days of our stay. This fit with the arrival and departure time of our flights too. We also hired the car driver of 35 age. I was dumb stuck by the amount of details provided by the Wizard!

Our choices

The options we got with price/day

        I was happy with the Toyota Corolla Altis. I loved the whole experience of planning the trip. I still had Rs. 16,615.47 left. "What will you do with it now?" asked the wizard. "Well there are things to be considered such as tickets for amusement park, money for breakfast, lunch and dinner" I said and smiled naughtily. Curious the wizard asked "And? what else is that you are looking forward to, that is making you this happy?" I grinned and replied "Shopping! Two girls are going and you expect them to return empty handed? Of course we are going to shop to our heart's fill and bring some souvenirs for our family too" The wizard was satisfied with my answer. "Wish you a safe and happy trip" the Wizard said as I bid good bye to it. 

       I felt happy. It was my first time planning a trip; yet I had managed to plan everything precisely, without much effort, thanks to the Sky Scanner Wizard. Now all that was left is to enjoy the holiday planned.

PS: This post is a part of Sky Scanner Travel Wizard activity at BlogAdda.com 

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)