Can’t believe it's been one year since I retired. Seems like yesterday - time flies. Here’s how the year went by.
The retirement celebrations began with partying every alternate day in the first month. Never knew there were so many well wishers who wanted to see me retired and considered it a valid reason for never ending celebrations. The celebrations are continuing with reduced frequency.
Once I was done with the initial celebrations, it was time to catch up on our travel. Having done most of the popular tourist destinations in the domestic & international circuit during our working days (being a strong believer of work life balance), we zeroed in on South Africa which was in our to-do list. There couldn’t have been a better choice. After a reasonably hectic work life, wild Africa was just what the doctor ordered. The beauty of South Africa is breathed through the smiles of friendly natives, the mosaic of cultures and cuisines, and the complex history that has shaped it. But, most of all, it is the natural splendor of this country that sets it apart. South Africa's landscapes are made up of valleys, mountains, forests, deserts, coastlines, and grassy savannahs that are breath-taking in their
picturesque scale. South Africa is a destination where you can experience it all; from the unspoilt beaches along the Wild Coast to the vibrant nightlife of Johannesburg / Cape Town; the game reserves, the caves of Congo, ostrich farms, the table mountain, seals & penguins of Atlantic ocean to the lush green artificial forests & artificial beach of Sun city. One moment you can be enjoying
the breathtaking view of Mosul bay, the next you’re enjoying a drive along the Garden Route with wine of your choice.
After the SA sojourn, it was time to catch up with friends & relatives. After hosting some relatives and being hosted by others, we were ready to catch up the new year with friends in the tranquil surroundings of Pachmarhi, the queen of Satpura. Situated at 1100 m, Pachmarhi, popularly known as 'Satpura ki Rani' (Queen of Satpura), sits beautifully, embellished by nature and history, amidst the Satpura range. Legend says the Pandava brothers visited Pachmarhi during their exile. This most popular hill station of Madhya Pradesh is a treasure with ancient caves of the Buddhist era residing in harmony with serene waterfalls. It was the perfect place & way to welcome 2019 partying with dance, drink & dazzling performances around a bonfire in the midst of a forest.
The Bhopal – Pachmarhi travelogue is posted separately.
Two months down the line, we were off on a road trip to the temple town of Bhadrachalam. It was a nice drive on Hyderabad ring road on to Vijayawada highway to Suryapet - Khammam - coal belt of Kothagudem and finally Bhadracham by evening. It took about 8 hours with a couple of stops enroute.
We stayed in a hotel close to the temple and hence could do an evening and early morning darshan the next day. Enjoyed the steaming hot idlis and dosas prepared by a muslim couple at a roadside outlet near the entrance of the temple. After the morning darshan we started off to Kunavaram, the place from where the boat ride begins for Papikondalu. The Papikondalu hills & tropical rain
forests are located in the border confluence of Khammam district in Telangana and East & West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh.
We settled in our boat by 9.30 and the journey began. We were offered break-fast which was good (Upma with Masala Vada). As the journey begins, one feels completely cut-off from the world (literally after 30 minutes or so there was no signal on our cell phones) but we weren't bothered. With greenery all around and vast expanse of water beneath, and sand on the banks, it’s a heavenly
experience. Around 1 pm the boat reached Kolluru, where lunch was served. Bamboo chicken cooked by tribals is a specialty here. An hour or so after lunch we were in the midst of Papikondalu mountain range which is a sheer feast to the eyes in terms of its scenic beauty. As the hills become closer and closer to us, the width of the mighty Godavari becomes narrower. In accordance with this view, resembling the middle partition of a woman's hair, it was initially named as 'Papidi' Kondalu- Papidi in Telugu means the middle partition of a woman’s hair. The river narrowing, its twists and turns along with the Papi Hills form a breathtaking visual experience. Small waterfalls, water streams, thick rain forests and other flora & fauna add to the scenic beauty of PapiKondalu. By evening we
were back in Kunavaram and from there to Bhadrachalam by night.
The next day after an early morning darshan we headed for serene & scenic Parnasala, on the banks of Godavari, the place where Sri Rama along with his divine consort Sita and brother Lakshmana stayed during their vanavasa and is also the place wherein Goddess Sita was abducted by Ravana as per the local folklore. After the darshan, we were on the road to Hyderabad and reached home by evening, with a couple of halts enroute.
There were a couple of other short trips in between to other towns / cities visiting relatives / friends and delivering talks to practicing Engineers / Executives.
It remains a thrill till date to tell someone I have retired and watch their reactions. I met a guy at the gym the other day. He asked what I did for a living and told him I was retired. He thought I was taking him for a ride.
I get up early — usually before 6 am, make tea and do my yoga. I read the newspapers at a leisurely pace, which remains one of my greatest pleasures. Ganga generally announces breakfast at nine. It’s a meal that Kiran & I relish most at a relaxed pace that we missed doing all these years except on
weekends. I continue with the newspaper reading post breakfast and then it’s time to Whatsapp / surf the net on my mobile /laptop. There is always the odd miscellaneous task to perform before lunch is announced between 1.30 to 2 pm. The very thought that there is no work to perform after lunch makes it an interesting and engaging affair. The lunch is followed by TV, news or movie on
Amazon prime / Netfix and of course some siesta. I am up & fresh by 4 pm to take the world head on. After some lazing around, it’s time for cycling, gyming and socialising. During summer, it was fun time in the swimming pool before noon or past 4pm. At other times I enjoy sitting in the balcony with my legs stretched and watching the fountain in full bloom in the lawn, guyz & gals having fun in the pool, kids playing & cycling, health freaks walking, few demonstrating their yoga skills…..
Moving over to Aparna Sarovar Grande has added to the post retirement fun. It feels like being in a resort. By the time we are back home after gyming / socializing….. it's time for a light piping hot dinner. As Kiran gets busy with her serials, I get back to my laptop for some writing /surfing…..We get to bed around 11 pm, so get plenty of sleep and don’t need an alarm clock to wake up.
There is a break to the above routine when I go to deliver talks or we go to a mall, shop, watch a movie, or just chill. We enjoy our personal space when I go to deliver talks or she goes for her FICCI events, kitty parties, pooja socializing etc.
Try doing our bit of philanthropy as & when we find an opportunity. It’s been good going until now. Hope the trend continues. Ciao
The retirement celebrations began with partying every alternate day in the first month. Never knew there were so many well wishers who wanted to see me retired and considered it a valid reason for never ending celebrations. The celebrations are continuing with reduced frequency.
Once I was done with the initial celebrations, it was time to catch up on our travel. Having done most of the popular tourist destinations in the domestic & international circuit during our working days (being a strong believer of work life balance), we zeroed in on South Africa which was in our to-do list. There couldn’t have been a better choice. After a reasonably hectic work life, wild Africa was just what the doctor ordered. The beauty of South Africa is breathed through the smiles of friendly natives, the mosaic of cultures and cuisines, and the complex history that has shaped it. But, most of all, it is the natural splendor of this country that sets it apart. South Africa's landscapes are made up of valleys, mountains, forests, deserts, coastlines, and grassy savannahs that are breath-taking in their
picturesque scale. South Africa is a destination where you can experience it all; from the unspoilt beaches along the Wild Coast to the vibrant nightlife of Johannesburg / Cape Town; the game reserves, the caves of Congo, ostrich farms, the table mountain, seals & penguins of Atlantic ocean to the lush green artificial forests & artificial beach of Sun city. One moment you can be enjoying
the breathtaking view of Mosul bay, the next you’re enjoying a drive along the Garden Route with wine of your choice.
After the SA sojourn, it was time to catch up with friends & relatives. After hosting some relatives and being hosted by others, we were ready to catch up the new year with friends in the tranquil surroundings of Pachmarhi, the queen of Satpura. Situated at 1100 m, Pachmarhi, popularly known as 'Satpura ki Rani' (Queen of Satpura), sits beautifully, embellished by nature and history, amidst the Satpura range. Legend says the Pandava brothers visited Pachmarhi during their exile. This most popular hill station of Madhya Pradesh is a treasure with ancient caves of the Buddhist era residing in harmony with serene waterfalls. It was the perfect place & way to welcome 2019 partying with dance, drink & dazzling performances around a bonfire in the midst of a forest.
The Bhopal – Pachmarhi travelogue is posted separately.
Two months down the line, we were off on a road trip to the temple town of Bhadrachalam. It was a nice drive on Hyderabad ring road on to Vijayawada highway to Suryapet - Khammam - coal belt of Kothagudem and finally Bhadracham by evening. It took about 8 hours with a couple of stops enroute.
We stayed in a hotel close to the temple and hence could do an evening and early morning darshan the next day. Enjoyed the steaming hot idlis and dosas prepared by a muslim couple at a roadside outlet near the entrance of the temple. After the morning darshan we started off to Kunavaram, the place from where the boat ride begins for Papikondalu. The Papikondalu hills & tropical rain
forests are located in the border confluence of Khammam district in Telangana and East & West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh.
We settled in our boat by 9.30 and the journey began. We were offered break-fast which was good (Upma with Masala Vada). As the journey begins, one feels completely cut-off from the world (literally after 30 minutes or so there was no signal on our cell phones) but we weren't bothered. With greenery all around and vast expanse of water beneath, and sand on the banks, it’s a heavenly
experience. Around 1 pm the boat reached Kolluru, where lunch was served. Bamboo chicken cooked by tribals is a specialty here. An hour or so after lunch we were in the midst of Papikondalu mountain range which is a sheer feast to the eyes in terms of its scenic beauty. As the hills become closer and closer to us, the width of the mighty Godavari becomes narrower. In accordance with this view, resembling the middle partition of a woman's hair, it was initially named as 'Papidi' Kondalu- Papidi in Telugu means the middle partition of a woman’s hair. The river narrowing, its twists and turns along with the Papi Hills form a breathtaking visual experience. Small waterfalls, water streams, thick rain forests and other flora & fauna add to the scenic beauty of PapiKondalu. By evening we
were back in Kunavaram and from there to Bhadrachalam by night.
The next day after an early morning darshan we headed for serene & scenic Parnasala, on the banks of Godavari, the place where Sri Rama along with his divine consort Sita and brother Lakshmana stayed during their vanavasa and is also the place wherein Goddess Sita was abducted by Ravana as per the local folklore. After the darshan, we were on the road to Hyderabad and reached home by evening, with a couple of halts enroute.
There were a couple of other short trips in between to other towns / cities visiting relatives / friends and delivering talks to practicing Engineers / Executives.
It remains a thrill till date to tell someone I have retired and watch their reactions. I met a guy at the gym the other day. He asked what I did for a living and told him I was retired. He thought I was taking him for a ride.
I get up early — usually before 6 am, make tea and do my yoga. I read the newspapers at a leisurely pace, which remains one of my greatest pleasures. Ganga generally announces breakfast at nine. It’s a meal that Kiran & I relish most at a relaxed pace that we missed doing all these years except on
weekends. I continue with the newspaper reading post breakfast and then it’s time to Whatsapp / surf the net on my mobile /laptop. There is always the odd miscellaneous task to perform before lunch is announced between 1.30 to 2 pm. The very thought that there is no work to perform after lunch makes it an interesting and engaging affair. The lunch is followed by TV, news or movie on
Amazon prime / Netfix and of course some siesta. I am up & fresh by 4 pm to take the world head on. After some lazing around, it’s time for cycling, gyming and socialising. During summer, it was fun time in the swimming pool before noon or past 4pm. At other times I enjoy sitting in the balcony with my legs stretched and watching the fountain in full bloom in the lawn, guyz & gals having fun in the pool, kids playing & cycling, health freaks walking, few demonstrating their yoga skills…..
Moving over to Aparna Sarovar Grande has added to the post retirement fun. It feels like being in a resort. By the time we are back home after gyming / socializing….. it's time for a light piping hot dinner. As Kiran gets busy with her serials, I get back to my laptop for some writing /surfing…..We get to bed around 11 pm, so get plenty of sleep and don’t need an alarm clock to wake up.
There is a break to the above routine when I go to deliver talks or we go to a mall, shop, watch a movie, or just chill. We enjoy our personal space when I go to deliver talks or she goes for her FICCI events, kitty parties, pooja socializing etc.
Try doing our bit of philanthropy as & when we find an opportunity. It’s been good going until now. Hope the trend continues. Ciao
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