Sunday, July 30, 2023

A review of hotel in Electronic City

1. Mast Marati: Nice Marati food esp pithla bakri and sorghum juice. Not a place for fine dining but better to have hot jowar roti. No parking. (Next to Printo in Ecity Phase 1)

2. Sai Vishram: Nice south Indian fine dining buffet. Good parking. (Along hosur road)

3. A2B: Nice Tamil south Indian ala-carte food. Recently serious issue with parking (near Ajmera stone park)

4. Punjabi Dhaba: Nice Punjabi food. Not a fine dine place. (Near Printo in Ecity Phase 1)

5. Ottera: High end fine dining. 

6. Kapoor's cafe: A decent punjabi food joint with some cots to sleep over after having food. Good on ambience and have valet parking. Has a small parking area below

7. Gopal Jee: Good north Indian food with a nice parking area.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

A Journey in Vande Bharat

This is a dairy entry of my travel in Vande Bharat on 23 July (Sunday) from Chennai to Bangalore.


Activity Index

I reached early at 5.15 AM at Madras Central.

First is a booklet called Platform with advertisement of a Jeweller.

 Another larger Platform book one per row is provided. It didn't reach me in the last row (C7, 4). So not sure of content.

Newspapers Sunday Times and another in Tamil Dhina Thanti delivered

Dhina Thanti newspaper boy come and take pictures of people reading the newspaper. Read a news of Indian colonizing legally in UK with Ravi Ruia buying a 1200 CR mansion in UK. Hope he could have invested to buy a bigger property in India.

Train is almost full by 0540am

No more place to keep luggage in the top rack and hence passenger are getting innovative and keeping it in the place behind my seat.

Train starts at 5.50 sharp. 

Rail neer one liter bottle is delivered at 5.51. I have already a smaller water bottle. Moved it to other place.

Sadly no mobile or laptop charger in Chair Car.

Train moving at 12 Kmph at 5.53 as shown in screen just behind me. The screen shows Modi inauguration of Vande Bharat.

5.56 train still at 29kmph and ticket inspector checked the ticket SMS.

5.58 Basin bridge station. Speed again at 15 Kmph. Water delivery to all seats not yet completed. Next stop katpadi is being announced which is 125 km away

6 am Unibic biscuit and Instant coffee premix(Chaizup Premium). 

604 am Hot water and glass came. Speed 127 Kmph

608 126 Kmph vibration is there. May be slightly less. Not whole lot lower. Also being near the door I get to hear the sound.

620 it was 127kmph but now down to 106

625 speed is 29 Kmph. Screen showing next station as Katpadi and will reach at 7.13 am

627 accelerating to 80 kmph now, 102 kmph, 113 kmph, 120 kmph, 

6.28 128 kmph

6.32 47 kmph

6.35 a train passby. Now accelerating to 104 kmph, 66 km to next stop

6.36 101-104 kmph

6.45 tried restroom. Quite helpful people who are serving food and water. It's clean. Flush is aircraft type. There are disposable cover for use in commode. Train accelerated back to 122 kmph.

6.48 127 kmph. Noticed some seats are free. Maybe because it's a Sunday or they may board from next station. 40 km to next station.

6.54 another train passed by but the speed remained at 127kmph.

7.18 started from Katpadi after a 5 min stop. Slowly accelerating. One more seat near me for occupied.

7.19 Breakfast being served.

7.21 127kmph. Acceleration seems to be smooth and fast. Next station 226 km and is KSR/Majestic Bangalore station.

7.25. Got my breakfast on a nice tray. apple juice. Tissue paper, 3 idli, Vada, 4 murukku, sambar, chutney, kesari bath. 

7 37 i finished my breakfast.

7.43 Tea being delivered. Skipped it as breakfast was very heavy.

7.47 73 kmph. 176 km to KSR.

8.04 Found charger under the seat. Speed 120 kmph

8.08 Snickers and juices for sale. Executive class has 2+2 seats with Sofa type seats.

8.11 Jolarpet station. Trains slows to 14 kmph 

8.59 JCB being transported on train speed 43 kmph. Noodles coming for sale. Snickers seems to have been sold in sufficient nos. Rs 60 per Snickers.

9.01 am 19 kmph. 75 km to KSR Bangalore. Found there is Vandebharat WIFI and a in-train entertainment system. Vandebharat.myinfotain.com

9.39 109 kmph 22 km to KSR. someone came to clean the train. Maybe getting ready to welcome Bangalore to Mysore travellers with a fresh smell. 

9.42 100 kmph. All the old newspaper was collected by one person smartly dressed in blue. 

9.44 50 Kmph. just 14 km away from KSR. All the coaches are connected including Executive class. Executive class is in the middle. Crossing KR Puram station. 

9.47: Stopped for a minute in KR Puram but as per schedule no stop here. 13 km to actual stop. Another person came with garbage bag to collect the garbage. All routine looks very similar to the one in a flight.

9.50 12 km to KSR, SPEED: 7 KMPH.

9.52 35 KMPH

9.54 62 kmph 10 km more. Tracks are being expanded.

9.56 BLR EAST crossed. 84 kmph.

10.01 4 km 26 Kmph 

10.04 2 km 50 kmph

10.07 14 kmph 1 km

10.09 reached KSR. Quite a large crowd for travel to Mysore. 

Pleasent journey in 20607.