Santy's Blog

After months of planning from the last hike along the Housatonic, Dave and I finally got down to basics for arranging the trip. We booked the Great Hollows State Park camp shelter for the night. The trip was something like this. Dave, myself and a friend camp and hike in the Great Hollows State Park. After a overnight stay, I along with my friend return, while Dave continues on a trail for the next several days. Week before was really hectic, only returning from work to sleep. :) So all the preparations were made from my side only on Saturday. Off we go to Walmart and pack sleeping bags, jackets, gloves, basic supplies. I am always ready with my Ka-Bar and Maglite mini for any eventualities. Off on the Mustang for a camp we'd never forget. The place was cool, with fall starting and the cold wave sweeping in. Possibly one of the few weekends before the hunting season starts. After a light snack we go on a hike along a lake. Scenic beauty, aging bones :P - they really make a great co...

As the day turned, I needed to get out, get going. Somewhere for the long weekend. All I had in front of me is the uncertain plans of friends, and the unpredictability of self. Thankfully none deceived :) So here I start once again on the path of uncertainty and unpredictability. Boarding the 1530 hrs bus to Boston, to catch up with Sandy. All through the trip tried hands at C# within Mac OS X. Somehow the bus reached earlier than expected, in fact a whole hour earlier. Dazed and amazed I got up to meet with Sandy and Hetal, another friend. Roamed the streets of Boston, with slight downpour keeping us on our toes. Day after: Saturday. Fun filled. Destination: Boston again. Having been a long timer in Boston was the guide for Sandy. South Station, subway, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Boston Harbor. The list might be short, the streets aren't. Boston boasts one of the beautifully planned streets with the major roads running underground leaving the streets to the people. Ain't it ...

One thing is certain when I leave a trip to be planned by selected friends, they do all kinds of wonders to it. Bingo for this trip. While the planners started the process some 2 weeks earlier, the executors didn't give a confirmation till the last hour of Friday whether we got to go or not. So with an old friend I had to confirm time and again that no matter what we were going. Now the problem starts. People coming from three different directions, need to get together. Add to it picking up supplies for the camp. Even bigger. Somehow we got to manage that, will think of something next time. Being the first ones at the camp, I and my old friend had to go back and forth from the campsite to civilization, and network coverage to guide people to the site. What had to be complete by 1400 hrs, was only feasible by 1800 hrs. Yes we got together and tried to settle down. That's when the fund starts. Usual campers aren't used to commotion. And as far as I remember, we aren't use...

Friday: Early from office, to be early on the trip. However things get delayed and delayed and delayed. What was supposed to start by 1900 hrs, started close to 2230 hrs for me. Saptanshu, Sandeep and myself, we set out to New Jersey, our revered Bhabani Bhai's place. Long drive, we reach by 0100 hrs. Just in time to gather our feet and take rest. Its going to be a long one. Saturday: First thoughts were DC, Philadelphia, etc and etc. Second thoughts sun bathing at the community pool. Third and final thoughts: hit the beach. So off we go to the Belmar beach. Pit Stop: Walmart. To buy supplies, enough to last the beach extravaganza. Second Pit: Pick up Mohit bhai jaan, a common friend. And off we go. Beaches are always fun. And when you get inside neck deep and still able to play throwball, even better. Swimming in the Atlantic, getting photographed doing so in a No Swim zone, et al. Even funnier to take a public shower before we hit the car. Saturday Evening: Destination Edison, NJ...

Saturday morning: Tour starts from New York. Not mentioning the early hours drive to Stamford, parking the car at Pitney Bowes office, hitchhiking our way to the train station for a ride to Grand Central, NYC. Tour starts from Chinatown, with tourists - mostly our neighbors. The only other people we got to mix were a group of Germans. The bus picked up some tourists from Edison, New Jersey and then set off to Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia was the second capital of the US. The city is notorious for its downtown, where people have broken car windows for a pack of cigarettes. Apart from that the city looks good, you could walk without a stop in the alleys and paths. Each street nearby the Independence Hall which housed the Liberty Bell has richness of history visible even today. Next stop: Washington DC. US Capital. In the District of Columbia. Interesting that it doesn't have a single representative in the US Congress. Juggling between the National Air and Space Museum,...

"Sunday morning, chances of rains and a lot to cover. Dave came in around 1000 hrs. Meeting him after a long time, eh like over an year. So out come the backpacks from the store with enough to last us two days, just in case. Together with the hike GPS and the 2010 Subaru Outback we set out for the trail along the Housatonic river near Brookfield, CT. About 20 minutes drive from where I live. This time I knew finding a trail wasn't easy as neither of us had been to the place earlier. Getting off road, getting lost, turning back, no phone signal, all were just symbolic of the trail we were about to take. What was fun was crossing vast ranches, horse stables, extremely narrow roads. But the Subaru took all of it. Everything. Finally got the head of the trail and went off to grab a sandwich. Well needed that during the hike. Hike started well with good grip on the wet, marshy trail. The Sun shone brightly across the sky covering flora. So thick that even didn't know it was rai...

Friday evening wasn't so bad. For I had to travel to Stamford to pick up the ride with Sandeep and Saptanshu to Bhabani's place in New Jersey. Initial planning was to travel from Danbury to Stamford and then to Trenton where Bhabani would pick me up. However to save time and money the gang re-planned to pick me up at Stamford. That's when I missed the train. By a minute. I was at a signal and watched the train go by. And there began the uncertainty. From thinking about traveling to Stamford by taxi, to waiting for the night train, and pretty much re-planning; finally Sandeep and Saptanshu come over to pick me up following a 30 minute detour. Well there I was at McDonald's with three premium sandwiches with bacon unbeknown to us. Finally we managed the supper and set out towards New Jersey, a 160 minute drive. The drive was fun and after a long tiring wait to reach the destination, we finally saw the end of the roads. Mr Bhabani, who was away at a play had made arrangeme...

My plans for the long weekend were still not set. Even Friday morning I wasn't sure if I was really going somewhere. Not until noon did I think of traveling to Boston, then by evening it changed to Newport. Till the dead of night I was glued to my laptop for destinations. Good representation of DESTINATION UNKNOWN. Morning wasn't better either. The only difference was that Sandeep was expecting me to come. Where? Neither of us yet knew. So I start with a grin and with a thought to free myself from the wonders of the world. Destination Stamford. Probably the busiest station in Connecticut. I had to change trains at South Norwalk, somehow I missed the directions from the crew and still was sitting at my seat. Only when I found the entire train empty that I moved, asked an elderly gentleman if the train was going to Stamford. He just said 'The other line' and dozed off, pretty indifferent to his surroundings. So there I move to the other train, luckily it didn’t leave with...

From the very first day I landed at Danbury office, I have been seeing a different facet of life. It is not like it was in Shelton. People at Shelton were different. Here they are even different. Not a single day has gone by without being stared at, as if I am from some other planet. Yet I get a smile. A smile. Deep inside them, I know runs the thought, I may take their job away. From the moment I step out of the car to the moment I settle down at my desk, I am like the center of all these stares. Smile shadowed by a deep concern. An untold neglect, but trying to be courteous. Of the many I meet, few people come forward to help... help me find a cab guide (they do not help exactly, but guide you to help which is good since it culminates independence)... telling me where to look for directions... But never they actually do it for you. I have met ladies at cafeteria help me find the perfect sandwich without meat or ham on days I am not supposed to eat meat. Danbury as a town is strange. ...

I have safely reached Danbury. Not mentioning the unfortunate incident at Bhubaneswar and the high paced drama at Delhi airport. Well mentioning it, my flight from BBI to DEL was delayed by 1 hour and 15 minutes and I reached DEL domestic at 2240 hrs. At 2300 hrs I asked for an airport transfer while my flight was at 0025 hrs. The airport transfer guy told me to take a cab as the next shuttle was scheduled for 2320 hrs and it took about 30 minutes for the shuttle to reach international. So, I had to take a cab to the international terminal. The cab came at exactly 2325 hrs and the driver I remember told me it takes like 30 minutes to reach the international terminal. I gave up hope and told him to go as fast as he could. Bingo, he was superman in disguise for I reached the terminal in 15 minutes. I want to forget the drive, coz it reminds me more of my kind of driving. Thanking the cabbie I had to wait like 10 minutes to get into the terminal. So there was like 40 minutes for the fligh...