National Market For The National Trip

The Gandhinagar/ National Market Trip

The trip before the trip. The trip for the trip.






















Four pairs of cheap socks - Rs. 100

Two Adidas(but not) track pants - Rs. 450. In fact, these are better than the original Adidas track pants.

Two track pants, Blackjacket or Racer or some such name - Rs. 250.

Three cheap t-shirts - Rs. 100. I paid for three, but the bugger packed only two.



















Thoughts of buying a camera pouch and a portable DVD player happened for a while. They just happened, did not materialise. Checked out a few backpacks. Again, only checking out happened.

Lemon slush at Sukh Sagar and some DVD purchase at Babloo's shop happened. Bought Children of Heaven and Color of Paradise. Children of Heaven. Recommend it.

Updates -

• The trip is happening.
• Need to get Bharath's camera from home.
  
• Need to buy a good notepad and a pen to write during the trip. Not that I don't have a notebook or a pen, but will want to go on the trip on a fresh note.
• Print the maps and info collected on the places to visit. Funny that instead of a forum post or a blog post, the info will be a chat transcripts.
  

Update, Checklist And Random Things

• Update
  
• Booked the return journey ticket from Kolkata. Expense Cost(?)- Rs. 2949.
  
• Expense Cost(?) of train ticket from Bangalore to New Jalpaiguri - Rs. 610.

• Checklist
  
• Maybe buy a couple of pairs of cheap socks if it's going to be cold in those areas. No need to wash and no need to carry them back.
• Music - buy a cheap MP3 player? Or manage till the smuggled goods market at Kakkarbhitta and buy one there!
• What about the camera? Borrow a good one and carry extra memory cards? Bharath's camera is too big to fit into one's pockets and the quality also not too great.
• Get a pro account on Flickr!

• Random things
• I'm highly tempted to travel to a couple of places in Bihar. It's not too far from places I'm visiting. Let's see.
  
• Pick up stuff in places you visit for person, people and yourself.
  

Let's See How Far We've Come!

And we haven't even started! And it might not even we. I might just do the trip alone. This is a blog to chronicle the experiences(when the trip happens, that is), the time spent in planning and arranging for the trip. Have already done a fair bit of research on the places to visit, the distances between these places and how best can I utilize the time I have for the trip.

So here's about the trip - do as much of North East as possible between March 28 and April 7, 2008.


All I know as of now is that I'm taking the Guwahati Express from Bangalore on the 28th and flying back from Kolkata on the 6th or latest by 7th April. Damn, I still haven't booked the tickets. Will have to do that first thing tomorrow. Damn, they're already in RAC.

Updates as of March 11.

• Chander considered coming along over the weekend, but the reply was in negative. Harsha can't. Shashank is going home. Pandit has to serve the last two days of his notice period at IBM. Hutch can't, is flying to Thailand on Fools' Day for his internship. Ayan has his interviews. Boss is planning a trip to Surat to visit his mate(r), that one and the alma one.
  
• Spoke to people at Kim Lee and suggestion was that I should get down at New Jalpaiguri rather than go all the way to Guwahati. I guess I will take their advice.
  
• Spoke to folks about the trip and the possibility of doing it alone. Surprisingly, they were pretty cool about it. Or was it just over the phone?
  

To do for tomorrow.

• Put up the Google Calendar on the blog.
  
• Perhaps import the excel sheet and embed it as well.
  
• Arrive at the checklist of things to carry.
• Maps - best thing to do would be to buy maps, or take print outs.
  

• Get tickets done -
• Bangalore to New Jalpaiguri | March 28 | Guwahati Express |
• Depature - Bangalore March 28 23:20
  
• Arrival - New Jalpaiguri March 30 21:30
  

• NJP to Darjeeling | March 31 | 1D NJP DJ NG TRAIN|
  
• Departure - NEW JALPAIGURI 09:00
  
• Arrival - Darjeeling 16:15
• Kolkata to Bangalore
• Cleartrip has slightly higer fares, by about Rs. 500
  
• Yatra - Air Deccan DN-635 Kolkata at 09 : 00, Bangalore at 11:30
  
• Rs.2,949 (Rs 924 + Rs 2,025 taxes & fees)
• eezego1, as much as Yatra.

Wondering if I should take this one, to be early to work. Or will I be so drained out after the trip that making it to the office on time makes no sense? (On ixigo)

• leave on 07/04/2008- travel time: 2:30 hours
  Flight Airline Departure Arrival Class
  9W515 Jet Airways 06:50 Kolkata 09:20 Bengalooru Economy
  Provider Base fare Taxes Fees Total price
  Jet Airways 1175.00 + 2025.00 + 0.00 = 3200.00
  

Narrow down on the itinerary. Come to terms with the fact that it is not possible to visit all the seven (eight, with Sikkim) in the period that one has. It's best to make the maximum of what's available. S

So here's what it looks like at this point

• Bangalore->NJP->Darjeeling->Nepal->Darjeeling->Gangtok->Nathu La Pass->Gangtok->Kolkata(somehow!)->Bangalore. Will have touched the borders of two countries!
  

Let's see how it goes tomorrow.