(Dec 7, 2006 to Dec 10, 2006)
Well, the title just describes my journey path! My journey started from Mumbai's domestic airport boarding the 19:25 Air Deccan flight to Coimbatore (CJB), an approximate 120 mins. flight, though it actually clocks around 100 mins. This was my first flight, and my first experience of the aero journey started in an Airbus A320 fleet. Cruising at 820 kph & 35000 feet in the air, it was great fun, especially the take off. If you are a speed fanatic, you actually get to experience 0 to 500 kph in under 6 seconds and that's an awesome experience.
Coimbatore to Palakkad:
I reached Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu State) at 21:20 and the flight was very much on time. Hiring a private taxi I headed straight to Palakkad (Kerla State) which is around 65 km. from the CJB airport. The moment you exit the airport, you see a 'Rent a Cab' service counter near the exit. The rates are mentioned on the counter board and this service is from the Tamil Nadu state government. For a distance of 65 kms. & NON A/c service I paid INR 800 and a Maruti Esteem was at my service. An A/c service for the same distance was costing me INR 1000, and you won't need one if you visit these states is Nov - Dec where the temperatures are pretty nice. When I landed, it was around 19 degrees Celsius. My taxi driver, 'Velloo' from CJB was a nice chap. One major problem anyone will experience in the Tamil Nadu state is that of communication. Talking to Velloo I learnt that the Karunanidhi run government discourages Hindi and in fact hates it, so much so that none of the schools/ colleges in TN state have Hindi as a subject, as compared to Kerla state where Hindi is understood by most people. The best way to communicate with these people in TN is to throw keywords and they understand them well. Velloo of course could communicate quite properly.
Caution: These taxi drivers will always give you some alternative route options and then charge an extra INR 100 for the same. In my case, Velloo suggested that we take an L & T road which goes from outside the city limits and charged me an extra INR 100. Also, an toll booths that you come across, is a cost you have to bear!
Reached Pallakad Kerla State... 23:00, won't write in much about this city, since I was here just for around 15 hours. Had come here to attend a friends wedding... I travelled back from Pallakad to Coimbatore by the state transport, the cheapest & a fun ride! I paid just INR 32 for the ticket to come back to the Coimbatore. Of course the bus stops at a place called 'Ukkadam'. The Coimbatore city/ heart of city is a place called 'Gandhipuram', around 3 Kms from the 'Ukkadam' bus depot which will be your last stop. Fetch a rickshaw who'll charge you INR 30 for those 3 Kms. I checked in, in a nice hotel, Hotel Aswini. I paid INR 1,000 for a Non A/c room for 1 day. There are good hotels here in Coimbatore. A known one is... 'City Tower'. Once you are near City Tower, just look here n' there and you'll spot a lot of hotels around you.
Just moved around the city here and there and did not find anything interesting! However, once you are in Coimbatore, make it a point to visit a restaurant, 'Gowrishankar' and have 'Cholley Bhature' here. Yups, me advising to have a Punjabi delicacy in South India might make me sound silly, but you'll feel like having this dish, once you enter the city and see almost all South Indian's having the same! Also, moving around the streets near the bus depot of Coimbatore will introduce you to 'Coffee & Wafers', something that South India is quite famous have. Have fresh banana wafers with Coffee! Really tastes good... (INR 10)
Will cover the Coimbatore - Ooty - Coimbatore journey in my next blog...
