WHAT A YEAR!

4 more days & we’re into the much debated ‘Mayan theory doomsday’ year!Its been quite a year, personally and professionally! The year I decided to bid goodbye to corporates & delve into the murky world of startups BUT that’s yet to happen due to certain factors but looking forward to the day I make the jump :-)
As always, I’m on the bus back to Coimbatore to celebrate the new year with the family. This is going to be a special one~

Bus Journeys~

Ever since ‘Engeyum Eppothum’ & those stupid KPN accidents, bus journeys have turned hell. They are bloody expensive but still the most effective way of travel. Trains, you ask? HELL NO! In the last 6 years,I’ve taken the train twice, both times I didn’t reach the destination on time triggering a lot of delays! I written off most of my wealth over to ABT/KPN/KSRTC.
I might be in a slightly inebriated state but will still try to write about my experiences with few of these travels

ABT Travels – Run by the ABT group from Pollachi, they started operations around 2006. My goto travel guys, always reliable & ontime . Although they don’t operate Volvos/Benz their buses are above average, maintained better than all the other buses out there. They are probably the only ones who provide the complete travel pack with the sleeping mask,vomit bags,tissues,water & fresh shawls everytime! The first time I took their buses, prices started from 450/- Over the last 4 years their prices have risen to 575/- now. A round trip to Chennai costs almost 1200/- Their biggest letdown is the frequency of trips to each city; they operate only a single bus on each route & if there is a heavy rush(around diwali, pongal) they introduce one other bus. The other minor annoyance is that they let all the seats to be booked online rather than holding up a few for offline booking. Heard a lot of complaints from local guys that all the IT people sitting at their terminals tend to book the tickets a month in advance & they were not able to get any.

KPN Travels – My travel guys by choice & comfort during my initial stint in Bangalore. Had a guy on the inside who used to arrange tickets even an hour before the journey. Always preferred their Volvos, each journey cost north of 600/- 5 years back. Initially the numero uno until ABT/ARC started knocking away their marketshare. Didn’t provide any accessories initially but i guess they do now,not sure though. Biggest advantage is their frequency, had a bus every 15 mins to almost all destinations in Tamil Nadu. Took the biggest hit to reputation when one of buses bound from Chennai took a tumble near Vellore, burning everyone aboard alive. Have also been hearing about bedbugs on almost all their buses due to lack of maintenance. If you stay in a remote part of Tamil Nadu, you didn’t get train tickets, missed your ad-hoc buses via Salem THEN I would suggest going with KPN.

KSRTC – Probably the only state owned transport organization that provided this level of service, in a good way! They have 3 levels of comfort~ first is Rajahamsa which is a A/C~Non A/C Semi Sleeper, pretty decent buses. Next is their Corona/Corona Ambaari coaches, slightly more expensive but still affordable. Buses are pretty good & well maintained. Their top-of-the-line service is Airavat comprising of Volvo & Benz single/multi axle buses. Ultimate in comfort, pretty well maintained & comparitively cheaper than the private ventures like ABT/ARC. All their buses start from the Shanthi Nagar Station in Bangalore and are pretty much on time(give or take 10 minutes). Hard to think of any cons ~they don’t provide any amenities other than the used shawls,that’s all I can think of at the moment.

A foodie heaven

I never realized it during my first stint here in Bangalore but after I came back from the UK I was craving for some variety and Bangalore seemed to satisfy every need. Got myself a bike & started exploring the city. Staying alone helped in that I wasn’t restricted to one type of food/cuisine

Listed below are some of my favorite spots in the city

Peppa Zzing – Located on Infantry Road just before Safina Plaza, this is one place I frequent almost every week. Their burgers are like the best I’ve ever eaten anywhere & their speciality ‘whammy’ is truly a treat AND one of the largest burgers in Bangalore. If you think Maharaja Mac & KFC Zinger are huge, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet

Windsor’s Pub – Probably one of the oldest pubs in the city, they are located in an unassuming government building in Vasant Nagar. Another one of those places which I frequent once in a week/ 2 weeks. They serve one of the coldest & freshest pints of kingfisher and I promise you, there’s no one else in the whole country who do! Pair it with their excellent starters/main courses and you’ll be back for more!Don’t miss out on their steaks & appam/stew, one of the best in Bangalore.

Hypnos/Samarkand – A BJN Franchise, located on Infantry Road these guys serve what i consider the best dum biryani this side of town. Located right beside it is Hypnos, their lounge bar. Great place to hangout with friends, they serve a wide range of drinks & they have hookas as well! Thursdays is ladies night, take your significant other & you could get your drinks on the house but be warned ~ the place is jam packed during those times!

The Egg Factory – An egg-themed restaurant, they are right at the beginning of St.Marks Road(behind Juice Junction) They serve only egg based dishes, brilliant at that! They have a minimalistic ambience and a 100 cheers to the guy who can operate their faucets on the first try ;-) They have quite a few options for the ‘pure vegetarian’ as well!

Aromas of South – An accidental discovery, they are located within the confines of the ’37th Crescent’ hotel in the Highgrounds area(right opposite the turf club entrance) One of first places I came across that has an extensive variety of south indian dishes from all the 4 states and that too at reasonable prices. Highly Recommended, great service from the staff ~ if you’re itching for South Indian food, this place should be right at the top of your list.

Nagarjuna – The staple andhra favourite in the city, right on Residency Road, next to the now defunct Galaxy theatre. One of the very few andhra restaurant that’s managed to keep up with the quality even with the exploding popularity. You cannot go wrong with their meals, their meat dishes are worth a try too!

Ebony – I’d solely recommend this place based on the view it offers! Being right smack in the middle of the Bangalore & 13 floors high(in Barton Center) helps! What’s also great is that they offer a decent spread in their weekly lunch buffet. Great place to dine out with friends/group, light on the wallet too!

Mavalli Tiffin Rooms(MTR) – The original bangalore eatout, been open for more than 50 years at the same place(on Lalbagh Road) they only serve meals but BOY do they do it well! Be prepared to ingest a truckload and also be there as early as possible, they clear out really quick!

Fishland – Another one of the golden oldies, located in the midst of the bustling Gandhi Nagar, every seafood restaurant around town should learn a thing or two from these guys! Serve the right amount of food, a variety of fishes & brand spanking new ambiance..although it did lose some of its old world charm :-( Again amazing food at unbelievable prices!

Millers’ 46 – Hands down the best steakhouse in Bangalore. Located on its namesake road, they are themed after a mexican saloon/steakhouse, they are renowned for their steaks & one of the very few places to which other eatouts have caught up pricewise :| Give their burgers a try too.

Café Terra – Those who’ve tried English breakfast wouldn’t think twice about this place!Koramangala 80 Feet road doesn’t have a bigger attraction other than this place~Authentic English breakfast with sausages/baked beans/scrambled eggs/ boiled potatoes,tomatoes & mushrooms too AND add in some delicious Belgian waffles, you’re probably set for the entire day! Writing about this place itself makes me yearn those dishes :-S

I’ve not written about places in & around Indiranagar, frankly, its like writing about how good a grain of rice is from a sack full of it! There are some awesome & a HUGE HUGE number of places in that place!! I’ve got a few years ahead of me before I get tied down and one of my resolutions next year would be to cover almost all places in Bangalore & if possible Coimbatore too!

P.S Headed back to Bangalore after quite a long Diwali stint!