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Hampi was the capital of vijayanagar empire. A lot more information about hampi can be got here http://www.hampi.in/.
( Click here for more pics )

In many ways, the Media is more successful in spreading terror than the terrorists themselves. I ask everyone not to overreact.

Delhi-> Manali -> Leh -> Kargli -> Srinagar -> Jammu -> Delhi
2650Km
12 Days
6 guys
5 bikes

( Pictures and details )
PS: I have Settled, started cooking, have to buy mobile.

Kolkata.

The first thing you will notice when you get down in kolkota is the yellow cab. This antique piece of machinery, 1000’s in number, run around the city like the identity of the city. The city is supposed to be bigger that Bangalore, don’t know how much it is true. As we were traveling in the yellow box we realized that the driver has installed a customized/unique radio in his cab. Apparently the cab we took from the airport to the place where we stayed should have been the slowest cab in the country. Either the drive was ignorant about the fourth gear or the cab didn’t have one. On the way we keep listing to the songs from the magic box(which looked like radio). More frequently it used to stop and the driver would wave his hand over the magical box and we would continue hearing the songs. At one point of time when it stopped playing music , even I tried my luck and it worked. So this has to be a magic box. One more think you will notice when going in the cab is the horn of the cab. It is that typical “pom pom” kind of horn and not the “ kein kein” kinds. Oh and how can we forget the traffic police. They stand right in the center of the circle dressed fully white, black boots which come till the knees, hats which look like a firemen’s hat more and police hat less, the strap which clips there trousers over their shoulder.
The city is little dirty by the city is a world of its own. People speak Bengali by default but hindi is known by all the taxi walas, merchants, etc. When it comes to navigations the city is a huge mess. If the driver decides to fool you, he can be going around circles in the same area and you wouldn’t even realize. Be ready to be mugged if you don’t know the route.

Metro : There is one line metro in the city, what i like about it were the stations. at some stations there were art exhibits. poems and paintings. one would not step out of the station without appreciating this.

Night life: apparently Calcutta has several pubs, most of them near by the park hotel. This city does not have the 11:30 curfew as Bangalore so the pubs are open all night. Went to a pub called “some place else”. The band playing was “the orient express”. Amazing music.

Food: If there is one thing that you miss about kolkata it has to be food and sweets. 2 days was a festival for our stomach. Man I love rasgulas. Road side PUCHKA's also know as Golgopa are mouth watering, literally.


To put it in short, Kolkata is a world of it’s own. I don’t think there can be another city like it.

Sikkim is situated at the foothills of Himalayas. I thought Singapore is a country which depends on tourism, but without tourism Sikkim would have been filled with unemployed people. there motto is clear. live and let live. Sikkim is divided into 4 zones, North, East West and South. Vehicles from one zone are not allowed to run in the other. so if you are planning to hire one vehicle and see entire Sikkim, give up.
( Click here formore photos and details.  )

 I guess this photo sums up the trip. 8 days , 1635 Km , 2 bikes , 3 people.
rgururaj ,manjlanata,  and me.

( Click here for the complete itinerary and photos, 6.33 mb in total )