Security screening at BIAL

Today morning when I was placing my laptop in the tray at the security check at BIAL, to my surprise all the trays were marked with numbers and same numbered tokens were being given to passengers. Once you pass security check you need to show the token and you are allowed to access the tray which matches. 

 

This is a very good method implemented so that people may not lose their machines to someone either in confusion or the other way. Kudos to the idea and the person who got this idea.

Not again!!!!!!!!

I was at the BIAL, rushing to checkin. I remember I need to take some cash. However I directly went into security check assuming I can pick up cash from the SBI ATM at the gates. And if you are a good guesser I need not tell you what happened. Wait a minute, its SBI ... should you still be guessing? :-)

Same result: This ATM is currently not working. Sorry for the inconvinience.

Will these guys develop some shame anytime??? These people may be strong in Banking, but are hopeless in service. Its time the Finance minister takes some action on these guys to improve their service quality.

If this is Earth, how would Heaven look like?

 Autumn in Germany

Beauty of Tibet

Blue Sea

Breithorn Peak ( Switzerland )

Cherry Blossoms Japan

Deep Autumn

Disney Castle

Edge of Glacier

 

 Golden Maple Leaf

 

Lavender Farm

 

MirrorLake

 

 Neuschwannstein, King Ludwig's Castle in Bavaria, Germany

 

 Saltzburg Austria - the most beautiful city we have ever seen

 

The beauty of Antarctica

 

 The Night Scene of Eiffel Tower

 

The Moon and Star on Earth

 

 

PapiKondalu - Boat Trip

Type: Boat Trip on the river Godavari
How to book: AP Tourism counters at the Godavari basin

Now my trip details.

I and my wife left from Bangalore for Vizayawada from where we along with our inlaws moved to Tadepalligudem for a night stay at our relatives. We booked a mini bus from here to a place called Pattiseema. This is one of the banks on the river Godavari.

The advantage we had was all the arrangements were made before and all we had to do was just go sit and enjoy. Well for information, the trip options can be like this.

Option 1: Rajamundry (or nearby banks) to Bhadrachalam and Back

This type of trip takes two days. On day one the boat starts early in the morning and reaches the destination by evening. The place where the boats halts is almost an hour away from the actual temple town of Bhadrachalam. So after completing a night stay and then having darshanam in the morning, the boat returns back to the source be Day two evening. A little long trip :-)

The boat trip covers, halts at all the important banks on the river, where you get to see many temples associated with the epic of SriRamayana and also quite a many scenic locations.

Option 2: Rajamundry (or nearby banks) to PaapiKondalu

This trip option only focuses on the destination PappiKondalu. So the boat starts from one of the banks near to Rajamundry. The boat goes on showing you all the important places and reaches PaapiKondalu. Once this place is crossed, the boat halts for a while at a bank and returns back.

We opted for option 2 as we did not have much time. We started at 9 am at pattiseema and were back by 9pm. The boat ride is really good. We booked a boat for only our family members. It costed us Rs.16000 including Breakfast, Lunch, Evening snacks and coffee tea supplied all time. The food was amazing. We were 22 people on the boat and thus it was really entertaining.

You also get an option to buy a ticket for Rs.500/person and get onto the normal commerical boats. Those boats are too crowded. Ofcourse you also get an option to book an AC bedroom with the view for Rs.2500 :-)

Few pictures:

At one of the starting points

The Paapi Kondalu

We asked the boat guy to stop at this place for us to play in the water for a while. Nice shores.

Now the bad part: Indians never change. Wherever we step in we pollute

So my only request to people is not to do such things. 

Bangalore - Tirupati - Sripuram - Bangalore Road Trip

I have already mentioned good information regarding the road trip from Tirupati to Bangalore in one of my previous posts. I recently visited Tirupati again. Also visited the golden temple at Sripuram, Vellore, Tamil Nadu. I have learnt some lessons and wanted to publish those tips. Also the route map. First the route map ...

Now the Tips:

1. Avoid driving in winter from Bangalore early in the morning. Why??? see below

 

2. Year end, you are going to face huge crowds.

3. Srivari Darshanam is very very tough.

4. Book hotels in advance.

5. Very very important: At all the shrines, i.e. AliveluMangapuram (Lordess Mahalakshmi temple), Sripuram men are not allowed to wear shorts and enter the temple. Of course girls can wear skirts which show either their thighs or anything above too.

6.  Security check at the Alipiri is shutdown from 1AM to 3AM. If you are planning for Darshanam,at early hours, keep this in mind.

7. Petrol on the Sacred Hill, Tirumala is almost unavailable. However the benevolent fuel station people can refuel up to Rs. 200; No cards accepted.

8. Mentally challenged men are deputed as Tirumala Traffic Police. So parking locations change just like chameleons. Traffic directions are never in the same direction. One ways suddenly sprung up. Kindly keep track, so that you can keep your car as near as possible to the temple.

9. If you buy the costliest of darshans, then please don't be in a dogma that you are highly privileged and very few people are going to accompany you. The authorities sell darshans at a 1:1 price. The second one is for the service of providing ticket for you.

10. Most of the fuel stations do not accept card at Tirupati. 

11. Also almost all the stations have their air filling machines not working. Plan well.

12. Lungis, Shorts, skirts etc kind of clothing is not allowed at Sripuram.

13. Do NOT miss a visit to the Golden Temple at Sripuram. 

14. Don't go back to chittor and take NH 4 from Sripuram. You can take NH 46 which is a wonderful road back to Bangalore.

All the best and have a safe trip and a wonderful Darshan at all the holy places