Hmmm...So this one has been a trip really close to my heart for many reasons....Most prominent being the fact that we finally moved away from all the procastinations and stumbling blocks and actually made it happen....Lets dwell a little bit on those procastinations and stumbling blocks and you would know what I'm talking about....So it's been a year since I am part of the ECG family and has heard of at least couple of ambitious outing plans every quarter....an apparent team bonding effort...but for whatever reasons never saw the light of day....so much so that we had to shell out almost 60% of our team budget in cancellation charges(resorts,event management costs) over the past year!! And this we get to know once we have finalised on this trip which is laid out below in detail...
When one of these plans are again rolled out...and this time it is a tried and tested place in Mangalore...I know that the bubble is getting burst sooner than later.....But no! Shinara and Sandeep ensure that people like me are proved wrong. :) So we are finally done with the headcount of almost 95% attendance...(which by the way is as surprising as it is alarming!!)....supah!!...So everybody is super egg-sited....Mangalore...the thought of the white beaches...the mouth watering yet cheap sea food.....the serene water and sight....and a resort all for ourselves....
With the headcount out of the picture, now its time to figure out the logistics....Sandy and Sujith (survey..as enterprising as it gets!) suggest Yerumal (please pardon me for my ignorance...the spelling may be hapless to say the least!!)...and its our HR (since she refers at least one candidate every month!!) and travel (I have never seen somebody so crazy about travelling) consultant Shinara gets into her act....And at this point of time I have to commend her never-dying spirit,enthusiasm and exuberance the moment the idea is dished out to her....and the reason why I'm so bowled over is for the fact that every time a plan is made...she is equally forthcoming....just that ECG always ended up making plans to make a plan....but still Shinara thy "The Undying Spirit" with key contributions from the "relentless" Sandy sorts out the money and the logistics involved....Great,we are leaving early on the 19th morning...
It is Monday, the 15th of September I believe....and out of nowhere there are sudden communal riots in Mangalore of all the places....We could not believe our luck....And we are told that it is nasty out there...to say the least,risky! Understandably, the respective loving spouses have issues about a Mangalore trip...and I am sitting there telling myself....The trip is jinxed!!...
Just when the thoughts of making the trip were weaning away thanks to the latest developments....there is a thought of relocating the trip to Pondicherry aka Puducherry....But we have financial constraints....we lost an additional 10k in cancellation(yet again...damn!) to the Mangalore resort....left with 45k for team of 14 people!....Shinara gets into the act again....she surfs and calls...finds French Villa in Pondicherry....highly reasonable rates at 650 per night...Double A/C acco(that's a premium if u ask me considering the number of times I have been there in the scorching heat)....ok...so accommodation is sorted....next is travel.....clearly we do not have enough funds to do anything remotely close to a tempo traveller...if we do,then we would have to starve ourselves....hence we decide that we should take 4 personal cars and take turns at the wheel....
Wednesday,17th.Sep.2008 - There is a round (no table!) meeting convened by Sandy.....final headcount in progress...few unsure minds including mine sorted....and we decide all 14 are still going....so wrap things up...we are coming the next day with our bags packed and off course the cars....scoot off post our shift....
Sudden (background)developments...office trip...we cannot take our own personal vehicles...it is a liability...which made sense...but we were just trying to work around what we had....so again, we didn't know what's happening....
Thursday,18th.Sep.2008 - Nevertheless the previous night's developments, we all come to work full geared up for Pondi...and suddenly we get to know that during the course of the night and the next day,Sanjay has approved an additional sum of money for us to arrange a TT (awwwsssoommmeeee!!!).....so now we need to figure out a TT....But no we don't have to!! Guess why....Ha! That should have been easy....Dear Shinara has already arranged for one with rock bottom pricing....proactive salesgirl at her best.... :)
Friday,19th.Sep.2008 ,4 AM - We all get into the TT...finally on our way to living our forever plan...an absolute bliss!....reach the first stopover...toll tax....men exercise the liberty of the world being their urinal!...take a couple of nice looking snaps....After a brief stopover, we set out again....next stopover decided at some place outside pondi for breakfast....next thing I know is that we are in front of this little restaurant....smelling of lovely south Indian breakfast marred by the filthy drainage odour next to our vehicle.....Anyhow,all 14 dismount....their stomach cringing for some food....hog on extremely cheap and yummy idlis and vada's....juice was forgettable though.....Done with breakfast and women helping themselves with the dingy loo's,people can't wait to reach Pondicherry....Around 11, we reach the French Villa. Beautiful place, located amidst the French Settlement near the Ashram....nice rooms with A/C which was again heavenly considering I thought I would melt in that scorching heat....more than decent bathrooms....on the whole an absolute steal of a deal for 650 bucks! So first things first, everybody decides to take a quick shower and meet for lunch.....Few people help themselves ahead of the rest since they could not resist the hunger pangs...
So lunch at French Villa was certainly avoidable...exorbitant and not worth to say the least....anyway...we all decide to check out the neighbourhood....sans Yogi....because my dear friend decides to sleep!...
walk to a tea stall...get some tea...and then walk to the rocky beach.....the waves going in splits against them....Me and Vadish decide to go to the Ajanta Ice Cream place....couple of rounds and we are out of that place....So time for the guzzlers to quench their thirst....Around the bend, Ajanta Bar it is! Unfortunately, we could not fit in one table....but nevertheless...created absolute chaos there...at least our table did....I and Yogi(yes,my dear friend finally woke up!) had to settle our petty fight scores....so we were at it...poor Shin getting squashed in the middle...broke a glass...
Post our fight excitement....Vadish,Sohini and Yogi place a bet of 1000 bucks if I can do two glasses of beer bottom's up!....and this to a guy who has been a teetotaller all his life...! I am all up for it....first glass down...second glass...going...going...Vadish makes me laugh!(#$%%#@!~^) and I have to take the glass off before the last half sip to ensure I don't spit on my dear comrades!...Split verdict across the board....Most agreed that I won the bet! :) Some snacks followed and vanished as soon as they came....At ECG,we love to eat. Yes, in spite of hogging at Ajanta, we were still hungry.....next stop...Once Upon a Time
....yes that is not a story coming your way...its a rather recluse restaurant near to our villa....ate like we would not have to for the rest of the trip....went back to the hotel....some left again to wander around....rest ganged up in Sandy's room....to play Bluff!! Rounds after rounds,pulsating music....Vadish was crowned the undisputed king of Bluff....my good friend is one heck of a sly! :P :).....Finally around 5 in the 'morning', we decided to call it a 'night' and retire in our respective rooms.Saturday,20th.Sep.2008 -
We all woke up in the afternoon after getting some sound sleep. From Day one, I have been on about 'Rendezvous'. For the uninitiated, it is a french restaurant in Pondicherry which serves the most amazing food. Their garlic bread is so succulent, it melts as soon as it touches your taste buds....So we all got decked up and reached Rendezvous for our impending lunch.....We literally drove the guys there crazy....thanks to the 'fish masala'...I certainly could not bother keeping a count...but I'm sure we didn't order anything less than 20 fish masalas alone!!...MIND BOGGLING to say the least.....then comes the "icing on the fish" part....Vadish and I order a simple vanilla ice cream....it was by far the best vanilla ice cream I've ever had....And I could the say the same and more for Vadish considering he ordered like another 7 or 8 of them!!!....All in all, my claims about the restaurant were vindicated and I can safely say that the entire gang had a sumptuous meal including Yogi!
