Home sweet home

Six months! This is the longest time I have been away from home in my 22 years. When I used to travel back from college to home, I would be looking forward to the journey more than the feeling of home. But this time, I am looking forward to both. I have tried every other means of transport - goods carrier to flight - and none ever quenched my thirst for travel. The more I travel, the more I want to.


I'm getting a bit nostalgic now. I remember roaming around the SETC bus stand at Parry's Corner, trying to get the Video Coach to Coimbatore - I had the "beginner's luck" of getting the best SETC on my first trip to home from College, which gave me a wrong opinion that all the buses in its fleet are likewise!! It took a couple of further adventures, before I was proved wrong.

I particularly remember one night, when the driver of a bus entered into a quarrel with a passenger, who happened to be a lawyer; the driver was so tensed that he smashed the left glass into a truck, and still managed to keep the journey going! As you can expect, I was in seat no 7, left side, second row. I almost froze with cold, as the wind blew in my face. I was wondering if I can make it, or is it my last trip, or should I get down at Villupuram. I made it atlast!

Travel by air-buses made no significant difference, except for the little extra comfort, they offer. I think Vivegam is the first air-bus I took, once going home from Chennai.

But my first Volvo trip was from CBE to Chennai, sometime after getting placed ;-). I was standing at Gandhipuram Lala Corner and plush-looking buses are coming and going and KPN has no tkts available. When I approached the No.1 Air, which is located very strategically in Gandhipuram, the guy over the counter was all smiles to offer me the Volvo tkt, which cost only Rs.400/-(???). I said "No, thanks". But stepping out, I thought, "what the heck! Let's give it a try".

There was a minimal noise and the jerk was almost absent and as the bus entered the NH 47, it was getting wonderful! Also, as it happened to be my first Air conditioned journey, I wrapped myself tightly with the provided shawl. I was expecting to reach Chennai well before 5am, taking note of the speed of the bus. But when I woke up (I dont know, how I slept !!), it was nearly six in the morning and the bus is pacing thro the Tambaram Outer Ring road towards Koyambedu. Jus' another journey!

If I can call myself rebellious, then the reason is this. I decided to hire a truck to get across all the goods of all people from Kongunad(me, Murry, Palani, Gokri, LK, Sivanesh) after vacating the hostel. My Dad was not very liking of the idea, but he somehow dint say no. And the highlight is that I decided to travel in the truck itself! Myself and LK were ready for the adventure, joined later by Murry, who had told his mom that he was coming by bus!

The truck was a Swaraj Mazda - open type. There was enough covering material, but to be used only during rain. We had space to accomodate even two more people and the beds were all laid out and we were playing cards and discussing some nonsense, while watching the stars in the sky.

Open air journey, prayer at a wayside temple near Tambaram, dinner at a dhaba and a sleep of 4 hours at a petrol bunk near Villupuram, phone calls to home from Aattur, breakfast at Palani's, buttermilk at Gokri's, downloading Mur and goods at Mur's, and finally the fight with the driver at LK's - fresh in memory!

That was a dream come true for me - travel a long distance by the most unconventional means! The previous time I did this was in last December(2003), while returning from Kanyakumari - the means was not unconventional, but the route.

I took the less ventured Kerala route. After b'fast at Nagarkoil, set off to KKumari and got a bus to Trivandrum. At Trivandrum, there was no bus leaving for Palghat or Ernakulam (or I was not able to find!!) in the next one hour and so finished the lunch and got a bus, bound for Sulthan Bathery, which happens to be somewhere near Ooty. I remember the expression on the conductor's face, when I gave him 100 Rs and asked for 2 tkts to Thrissur. He cooly replied me that each ticket costs 202/-. My geographical estimates were thwarted. It costed only 70 odd Rs between CBE and Trichy! May be Kerala costs are high. Luckily I had the money.

The journey was no different from that one in the truck, but the speed that the driver raced to, was something that I never experienced on road. 120kmph - I tried to see if the speedometer is working - but that is too much to expect in a govt vehicle. So I took help from my Titan and the signboards roadside. The maximum occured in the Alleppey-Ernakulam stretch - 4 lane and full throttle! Well, my reason for boarding the bus got fulfilled.
It was around 10pm when we reached Ernakulam and 12(am!!) on reaching Thrissur. Got a bus to Palghat and it was 3am when I dropped my foot at CBE. Got the first bus to MTP and reached home by 6am. It has taken 24hrs on a whole - from Nagarkoil to Seeliyur. But it is yet another dream come true - travelling the entire stretch of NH47 - Salem - Ernakulam - K'Kumari.

I had a big quarrel with my dad, when I told him about the route I was going to take for my first journey in the post college pre Juno period. Mettupalayam - Gobichettipalayam - Anthiyur - Mettur-Vellore-Sriperumbudur-Chennai. He dint allow me to take that route. But am looking forward to traversing that stretch, before too many days are over.

Another interesting journey was the "Rajahamsa" trip from BLR to HYD with Antoji and Naresh, a couple of months back. It was like a return to SETC, but with a new name - KSRTC. The bus was already late by an hour and the conductor fellow was giving the most irresponsible answer, when asked about why one of our push back seats were not working. No wonder Naresh and me got tensed(excited rather!!). It gave me an opportunity to let loose my Kannada talents, in the land of Kannada. The repairmen promised me that he will take care when the bus halts for dinner at BLR outskirts. And he kept his words too! Not a bad journey, but it certainly was not a Rajahamsa journey!

And this time it is the coveted Garuda, upon which I have an eye ever since Nive akka told about its speed and comfort. Let me see what this Garuda trip has to offer!