The Mount Manor

PHOTO : OUTSKIRT OF MADRAS...

by AliJoe

PHOTO : OUTSKIRT OF MADRAS CITY.


This is a normal scenery, at the the outskirt of almost any Indian's cities. People at here are consider lucky, having their own houses instead sleeping at the train station. Some of the houses here, build up by wet mud and some by cow's dung.

Auto rickshaws

by bungi333

If one doesn't have their own vehicle, then auto rickshaws are the most convenient, albeit expensive, mode of transportation within the city. For those of you who have not seen an auto rickshaw, they are like the tuk-tuks of Thailand. They are motorized three-wheelers, and are yellow and black in colour.

Like in most cities, when these drivers realise that a person is an out of towner and is not aware of the way around, they tend to hike up their price, take them all around town to get them to a destination near by, and try all other sorts of things to rip them off.

Hence, it would help to know the rough distance of the place that you need to go to and set your bargaining price to nothing more than Rs. 10 per kilometer. You can use google maps on your phone or use a city map to guage the distance. However, if you are using the auto for less than a kilometer or two you still pay the minimum of Rs. 20.

Tips to bargain:
It is better to wave down a running auto than to take a stationary auto from an auto stand.
Don't get in the auto without having settled on the price.
When you are bargaining let them know that you know how far the place is and mention the kilometers and that you are paying Rs. 10 per km which is more than fair.
If they refuse to come down to your price pretend that you don't need their services and start hailing the next auto that's coming your way.

Sometimes, when the autos are few and far between, especially in early morning or late nights or during rains, you may have to pay a higher price. Say around 50% to 100% more than the normal days.

Ladies, don't use them too late at night. You may as well use a radio taxi service. More on that in my next tip.

Also, check my tip on pre-paid auto rickshaws.

dAY Trip to Kancheepuram

by vpas

Described by the great poet Kalidasa as Nagareshu Kanchi or the ideal city,this is a temple town.The temples here are truly awe inspiring.famous among them are --
Varadaraja perumal kovil
Ulagalandha perumal kovil
Ekambareshwarar kovil
Kamakshi kovil
there are many others also.
Silk here is world famous.there are many shops selling pure silk sarees,fabrics,shirts and ties

Birla-Planetarium.

by radz

Interested to in astronomy,would like to know more about stars&mystries of the Milkeyway ,then you must visit this .Planetarium". his is one of the modern Planetarium". in the country.

Using GM II projector very sophisticated instrument(it can excute diurnal, annual,
Latitudinal and precessional motions.)
can watch celestial phenomena, on aluminum inner dome used as screen.
Its fully Computerized at time ,at time can accodamate 236 person. They present show varies subject in astronomy,even common laymancan understood.

For every 3 month or sometimes offten change there prgrams themes,so always something one expect new programs to watch.
Program timing:For English Show,morning 10 am,1.15pm,&3.45 pm.Tamil version 12,2.30pm
Entrance fee.adult:Rs20,childRs 10

India Trip - Simla, not Madras

by csuresh

"India Trip - Simla"

Ask Me if you expect Madras/Chennai Information.

Boarded Tamilnadu Express and reached Delhi. We went to a travels and they booked the hotel. However, they took us to another hotel telling that original hotel doesn't have rooms available. It was not a very good one. Then purchased a 50 rupee bus tour. The bus took us to Red Fort (Laal killa), Parliament, Gandhi Samaadhi, Lotus Temple and Qutubinar. The bus guide in his stylish hindi added "Hubsurat" (Beautiful) to all the places on the route. He also showed one of the star hotel owned by Amitabh Bachaan (Hindi actor) and said that tea cost 125 rupees in that hotel. Normal tea price varies from Rs. 2 to Rs. 5/-. Took lunch in a Sardarji Dhaba. Took Nirula's Ice cream also. Surprising thing on the day of this visit is meeting Shashank Kamat (what a coincidence!!). Took the Kalka express in the night from New Delhi to Kalka. Then boarded the Simla tour train to Simla. The route was scenic.

Simla hotel accomodation was done through Internet. It was priced around 1000 bugs per night. Meals costed around 100 bugs. Excellent Kashmiri Pulav. Took Horse ride. Horse was literally climbing mountain and many places the road was too much muddy with deep slides. Scary thing here was the horse rider, who was a small kid (must be less than 12 years old). He was keep telling us, "Kuch nai hotha". Temperature has fallen 20 degree Centigrade lower than what was in Madras/Chennai. Apple season was over and hence we didn't got opportunity to enjoy apple trees with apples. Roads presents a hilly ride. Surprised to see some peoples carrying "Gas Cylinders" on their back. Shimla City Center will remember some country-side City Center in England/Scottland.

Route from Shimla to Kulu Manaali is again Scenic. Guide explained certain locations as the most common Shooting spots. In one of the shop, we were asked to rent huge coats and it is really needed for the chillness. One the route, we saw a frozen river, where half the river is ice (candle type). Again the hotel we took in Kulu is Internet booked and it is around 1000 bugs. Food is equally good. During our tour to Manaali, bus went up and up through narrow muddy routes. Some of the time, path looked dangerous. We started getting views of Icy mountains. We were also on the National Highway Number 1 and is considered to be the tallest highway path in the world. I played my favourite casette through a speaker walkman which has songs from English, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Punjabi song. That invited one of the traveller to comment on National Integration. When the bus reached the top most point, it was full of snow/ice (White wonder) and we were shaking in cold. Tea vendors comforted us with their super tea. Soon we felt the climate normal and the bus travellers enjoyed the snow. Throwing snow at each other was a common scene. For a cheaper price, we also were able to see the army men's practice with live Automatic Guns, China Border, Ice Lingam Mountain and some more through a rented binocular.

The tour was excellent and readers of this can be guaranteed that, they will get a money's worth trip of travelling and your experiences will be no less than travelling to Switzerland or other European places.