Solo Backpacking Experience to Vienna

I never understood how someone can get motivated enough to travel alone, till I set out on my first trip in Germany. My idea of travel was to go out with a group of 6-8 friends and have fun with them. An unexpected solo trip to Vienna not only changed my view of travel but also redefined the way I think, plan and perceive things around me.

        It's a 4-day weekend and my lazy bones already ate up half a day, in contemplating how to enjoy. An impulsive force stimulated me to search for the locations nearby Munich. My crazy decibels said "Come on! Come on Jet! Go! Go!". In less than a minute, I finalized Vienna as I liked its pronunciation . I inquired a friend about the transport and came to know that blablacar is a good option. Through blablacar, I contacted a person who said that he will be at my hotel in 10 minutes. I stuffed my backpack with a few clothes, whatever my hand can catch, and rushed downstairs. I got into the car with 3 more guys from different countries. Here comes my biggest puzzle. Where do I stay in Vienna? What places should I visit in Vienna?

          A quick chat in the car and a google search provided some pointers. I booked a hostel through my mobile and contacted 'Tourist Information Center' as soon as I landed in Vienna. I was surprised to see the whole Vienna assembling to attend Philharmonic music performance. I quickly joined those souls and got drenched in music. For the rest of my trip, I was mesmerized by the architecture of the buildings, the sculptures and statues in the middle of the roads, and the historic places, cafes and bakeries that Mozart and Hitler preferred to spend their time at.  In hostels, I met different blokes from various countries, roamed around with them, attended operas, tasted local cuisines and danced with the crowd in Vienna's summer festival.

         My solo trip to Vienna turned out to be the most exciting trip. In a solo trip, you can decide on where to go and how much time to spend without looking for others' consent. You spend more time to understand the history and culture of the place which can alter your views  and this is the main purpose of travel. I have learnt a lot in this trip in terms of the challenges it has thrown, the decisions I made and the experiences I relished. In short, it just showed me who I am without much introspection. I sincerely recommend that you take a solo trip to get close to your soul. Trust me! You will love it.

How to travel affordably in Europe ?

I have travelled across many countries in Europe over the last one year. Euro trip is a dream for many. It is very beautiful, yet expensive. I found a way out to travel affordably in Europe. I hope that my post would help fellow travellers/explorers who are looking forward to travel in Europe, affordably.

Finalize Destination:

When? : April - October for Euro trip. October-March for Aurora Borealis.

Weather: Check weather forecast. Make sure it is not rainy.

Festivals: European cities are full of life during festivals. A trip during unique festivals is fun and adventurous (La Tomatino, Oktoberfest, Battles of the Oranges, Haro Wine festival, Bullrun, Bullfight).

Best Travel fare:

Plan: Plan 2-3 months in advance to get the best fare

Public Holidays: Tickets cost a fortune during public holidays

Best fare: If dates are finalized, search in goeuro.com and skyscanner.

                 If dates are not finalized check the fares in Ryanair, blablacar,

                 Flixbus/Postbus

Airport-City: Avoid odd hours to get better transport from airport-city and vice versa.

Commute: Each city has a different travel plan. Try to take a 3 or 4 day pass that covers tourist attractions and travel within the city.

Reserve Accommodation:

Free: Stay with friends/relatives, Couchsurfing

Paid: Hostel Bookers, Airbnb, Booking.com

Where?: Center of the city - Nightlife is awesome in the center of the city and usally many tourist attractions are in the middle of the city

Before you travel, read about the country, its culture, history of the place, tourist attractions, currency and visa process.

I have many more suggestions to make your vacation, a wonderful outing. Shoot a mail to jet706@gmail.com for any tips/queries related to travel within Europe.

Funny (German) Experience

My first abroad trip has set a big platform for unlimited funny experiences. My friend Ramana, alias annayya, received me in Hamburg and taught me basic etiquette of Germany. I stood in awe of him after knowing the way he mastered German language by reading complex topics and novels over the last five years. When Ramana took me out, he read all the hoardings in German language loudly to ensure that I notice his proficiency.

    After two days, I had to travel from Hamburg to Wolfsburg. Everything is written in German and most of the people speak only German language. So, here comes my biggest challenge as I need to travel by three different trains. Very worried about my situation, Ramana accompanied me to the railway station (Bahnhof). A scrolling at the platform (Gleis) and an announcement in German language greeted us to which he paid utmost attention. He looked at me with a big smile and asked me whether I understood the announcement. With impending gratitude in my eyes, I responded that I must have got panicked and had to run after people without him. With immense pride in his eyes, Ramana said that the train was delayed by 10 minutes. The last time I saw such pride in his eyes was during his engagement.

    Even after waiting for 20 more minutes, the train has not arrived. Ramana tracked the train's location and spoke to the railway authorities fluently in German language. He came back with his hands on his head and requested me whether I can stay back in Hamburg for that night. My curious and shocked eyes stared at him to know the reason. It seems that the announcement and scrolling were provided to inform that the train will come to 10th platform. Ramana assumed/understood that the train is delayed by 10 minutes. He said that if a person like me with 5 years of experience in German language faces this kind of situation, then what is the plight of people like you? In no time, I thanked him for his concern and got into the next available train.

A date with Kudremukh in Western Ghats

Never was I so desperate for a break! Recently, I had been to the most beautiful trek (40 kilometers) in Karnataka, The Kudremukh. My friend Swamy and I joined a bunch of enthusiastic bachelors with whom we had unlimited fun throughout the trip through GHAC.

We started at 6 pm in Hyderabad and reached Udipi town by morning 7 am. Later, 11 of us hired a 20-seater to Balagal village. Our co-ordinator, Giri, came up with a couple of games through which all of us were introduced to one another. The real fun started there with the ‘Mafia’ game in which we stereotyped each person. On our way, we visited Hanumangundi water falls. Later, some of us sat on the top of a 20-seater through the ghat roads and had an adventurous journey until the police caught us.

After reaching Balagal village, we started our initial 8 kilometers trek amidst leeches at 4pm and reached Kudremukh base camp in two hours. All of us applied salt andneem oil with extra pair of socks surrounding polythene covers to protect ourselves from leech bites. At base camp, we spent around half an hour to identify leech bites on our skin and visitedthe Somawathi water falls nearby.

On day two, we started our exciting and adventurous trek from the base camp to Kudremukh peak at 6 am. The drizzle welcomed us to enjoy the scenic beauty of the trek. As we passed through the lush green vegetation, we noticed peacocks and Samba deer from a distance. Many small streams of fresh water on our way added more beauty to our trek. Oh My God! The clouds occasionally touched us and condensed to water. That feeling was simply awesome! The green mountains played hide and seek with the help of fog and created another master piece to the trek. Our journey from a muddy road to gravel uphill, from the grasslands to an uninhabited forest with fallen trees, from the slippery rocks to a fresh water steams was like a beautiful dream. Adventure awaited us in the form of leeches, mossy rocks and steep edges of the hill. On our way, we shared our food and water with our friends to unload our backpacks. We also shared a few packets of salt to get rid of leeches on our shoes and legs. Finally, it took us 4 and a half hours to reach the mighty and beautiful Kudremukh peak. All of us held our shoulders together and shouted with boisterous enthusiasm and moved in a circle.

Later, we trekked down 12 kilometres to the base camp in another 4 hours as it was very slippery throughout due to heavy rain. After reaching the base camp, we found that 8 of the 11 guys were bitten by leeches despite the heavy protective measures that we took. Later, we took bath after reaching the base camp and started walking another 8 kilometers.

It is definitely the most beautiful trek I had ever been to. Along with this trek, we also visited the Malpe beach in Udipi and the Lord Shiva temple in Murudeshwar.

Jet’s Jaaazzzzzz…. Need I say more?

Lazy Bones... me..:)

Firstly, thanks to my friends, teammates, colleagues and relatives who bore with me during my car research for the best urban car on hyderabad roads. After a six-month car research, I couldn’t find even a single hatchback or sedan matching Jazz’s standards or style. So, I went ahead and reserved one when the petrol price was at an all time high of 82 Rs/liter while every other new car owner was desperately craving for a diesel (45 Rs/liter) car. Whoever asks me “Kitana dethi hai?” I suggest that they better use public transport.

Honda Jazz’s review:

Pros:

Ultra smooth engine, Smashing looks (at least on Hyderabad roads) with futuristic design, Best in quality Music and air-condition, Trendy dashboard and magic seats, Spacious interiors, Safety.

Cons:

Mileage (when compared with that of diesel cars), The most expensive petrol hatch in India.

My experiences:

When I drove my car to my apartment on the first day, a couple of guys came to me and introduced themselves and asked more about me, praising the car as well. Since then, my car’s huge head turner appeal made me feel proud almost every day before passersby. Recently, a software engineer on a two-wheeler admired my car at a crowded JNTU traffic signal and praised me with his gestures while everyone around envied.

After 2 years... it makes me feel good for making the right decision... You know what!!!

Now petrol price is 79/- and Diesel price is 60/- ... hehe

10K run... Get... Set... Start...

Have you got registered for 10K run?

How are you practicing?

What is your Bib number?

Should we go by car or train?

These questions have been part of my daily discussions with my friends and colleagues for the last couple of weeks. Finally, the D-day has arrived. I got up at 4.30 am and woke my friends Manoj, Rajesh and Bob up. We went to Hi-tech city railway station, parked our car and took a train at 5.50 am. We reached ‘Necklace Road’ station at 6.10 am. A five minute stroll took us down to the starting point of 10K run. The race started at 6.40 am when film actor and union minister Mr. Chiranjeevi flagged-off the event.

Around 8500 participants turned up for the event. Water and other refreshments were served every 100 metres. ‘Gangnam Style’ music stalls in between kept the runners energetic. With the policemen and ambulances around, runners were safe and secure. I finished running 10 kilometers in 63 minutes, four minutes more than my personal best. I ran the first 5 kilometers in 32 minutes and the next 5 kilometers in 31 minutes.

At the end, I received a medal for finishing 10 kilometers run and also got some refreshments. Neither did I develop any sprain in my legs nor did I feel tired throughout the day. A few trial runs of 10kms, 7kms and 7kms in that order for the last one week helped me prepare well for this 10K run. Besides, 10K run was very well organized. Thanks to my friend Swetha for informing me about this event. I also made sure that a few of my enthusiastic friends and colleagues participate in this event and run for Aashayein Foundation. This foundation aims to promote child education.

Ramanagara Trek – Bouldering, Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Chimney Climbing and Trekking

As Dusshera approached, I planned to make the festival a little different this time. As a member of Bangalore Mountaineering Club, I chose to trek with my friends Shravan and Gowtham. I went to Ramanagara, where SHOLAY movie was shot. Ramanagara is 60km to the south-west of Bangalore. A group of 10 started at 6.30am and reached Ramanagara at 8am after having breakfast on our way. Our coach came on time with the climbing equipment and taught us the basics of and styles in rock climbing.

    We started ‘Bouldering’ in which we have to use the grip in our hands and legs to climb the boulders. After climbing two such boulders, the coach gave some tips for advanced rock climbing using ‘Top Roping’ style. With the help of grooves in the rock, we anchored our hands and legs. Simultaneously, we pushed our body up by balancing our weight towards the rock. A few of us slipped and suffered bruises on our hands. Later, we ascended a steep rock cliff and performed ‘Rappelling’. We descended down the rock face using a rope. Though, it was scary at the edge of the cliff, Dandeli rappelling experience helped me gather courage.

    After Rappelling, we had our lunch in Ramanagara at 1pm. Then, we came back to face the toughest challenge in the trip, ‘Chimney Climbing’. We had to climb a rock cleft with vertical slides 25 feet high. Earlier, all of us were scared to climb up as a slip from the top would result in a serious injury or even death. A 10-year old boy showed us the way by climbing it with great difficulty. With this inspiration, I climbed it very fast in less than 3 minutes. But I was scared to death after finding that, a guy half my weight is supporting me from the top of the cleft, in case of any emergency.

Finally, we took nearby hill steps and reached a beautiful temple. We further ascended through a dangerous steep and had a fabulous view of Ramanagara town. We took rest on top of the hill for an hour and moved back to Bangalore by 6pm.

A weekend trip with my family

I took my family to Shivanasamudra, Mysore, Halebidu and Belur for a two day trip. I contacted Sri Vinayaka Tours with the help of ‘Just Dial’ and got a very good cab deal.

We started at 8am and reached Shivanasamudra, which is around 130 kilometers to the west of Banagalore, at 10.30am. As the Cauvery river flow was full due to rains, it was a real treat to watch Shivanasamudra. We enjoyed the waterfalls for an hour and drove towards Mysore.

We halted at Srirangapatna and visited Shri Ranganathaswamy temple. This temple was built 1200 years ago and the idol of Shri Maha Vishnu is in resting position. Then we visited Dariya Daulat bagh, the summer palace of Tipu Sultan built in 1784. This palace is made up of wood and stands tall even after more than 200 years. Then, we visited Ranganathittu Bird sanctuary but were disappointed to hear that it was closed due to Cauvery floods.

    Later, we went to Chamundi hills and visited Chamundeshwari temple. My nephew enjoyed a lot playing with monkeys near the temple. We rushed to Tipu Sultan’s palace in Mysore and reached at 5pm. The palace will be closed at 5.30pm and cameras will not be allowed inside the palace. By the time we leave our cameras in our car and went back, the palace gates were closed.

    Afterwards, we went to Mysore gardens while it was raining. We managed to attend a Musical Fountain, the main attraction at Mysore gardens. It was incredible to watch both the musical foundation and the crowd dancing to the tunes. We stayed that night at Mysore itself as planned.

The next day morning, we visited the Royal Mysore palace. We should remove our foot wear before entering the palace. I was amazed watching at the work done in durbar halls.

Then, we drove to Hoysaleswara temple that was built around 900 years ago in Halebidu. Though many sculptures were destructed by many invaders, the remains are still splendid.

We proceeded to Chennakesava temple, another masterpiece in Belur town. I loved the temple’s architecture and the inscriptions. Most of the sculptures are carved by “Amarshilpi Jakkana”. A legend says that people of Belur town protected this temple from the invaders by covering the entire temple with sand.

Finally, we came back to Bangalore at 10pm on the second day.