tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82199578505567806892012-01-18T20:43:42.369+05:30Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-53764085447476542472009-01-03T20:58:00.012+05:302009-01-03T21:54:37.298+05:30

One of the less visited but yet very beautiful beach is the Puthuvype beach which is the nearest (if you could discount the Fort Kochi) beach to Kochi (around 20 kms). We visited the place just out of curiousity since there was a tourism mela going on there, but found it as good if not better than Cherai. But this place has not been developed for tourism and the local administration is making a

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-2775503857379167092009-01-02T21:21:00.021+05:302009-01-02T23:29:11.280+05:30

These day trips, have suddenly caught my fancy. No more planning journeys in advance, looking for accommodation in each place and then worrying about your budget. I found that it is better to drive on to a new place and touch back base by night. We decided to do Alleppey this time. Since Alleppey was just 70 kms from kochi, we took it easy and didnt start very early. We had a lazy breakfast on a

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-45024151558098543182008-12-31T09:37:00.022+05:302008-12-31T15:25:58.617+05:30

We decided to do the Kochi-Munnar trip in a day. Many people advised us against it, saying that if you are driving upto Munnar, you should spend the night there. And when we asked the reason, the answer was to stay there to experience the chill and the mist. But having stayed in Delhi for six years and enjoyed the biting cold and driving to work in the blinding fog, (when even the aircrafts stay

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-24590014314831741612008-12-29T11:49:00.009+05:302008-12-31T15:08:05.609+05:30

Bhoothathankettu is a minor diversion on the Kochi - Munnar route and together with the Thattekad (Salim Ali) bird sanctuary are the popular enroute stops to Munnar. We decided to travel direct to Bhoothathan kettu from kochi. We took the Tripunithura-Kollencherry-Muvattupuzha-Kothamangalam route. We started from kochi at 1100 hrs and reached Kothamangalam around 1300 hrs and decided to stop for

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-59963754792758213942008-12-29T09:16:00.004+05:302008-12-31T15:05:28.696+05:30

This map gives the major tourist destinations of Kerala. If you have the time and inclination, visit all the areas marked in red in the legend. Click on the map to get the full view.This map give the major destinations by road. Chart out the route before you embark on your journey. Click on the map to get the full view.

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-85644089767282342972008-12-24T10:56:00.007+05:302008-12-31T18:26:20.705+05:30

After Kodanad, the next stop was Paniyeli poru, which was touted as an idyllic picnic spot with a little bit of trekking thrown in. The drive from Kodanad to Paniyeli poru was through lush green rustic Kerala and not much of a traffic. The route is Kodanad - Kothamangalam route and there are signboards put up by YMCA along the route giving the directions. The distance is approximately 18 kms from

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-27879880822246262742008-12-23T09:30:00.006+05:302008-12-31T15:06:43.558+05:30

Saturday morning, we set out to see kodanad, the elephant training centre. I had heard a lot about this place, so decided to drive down myself to see it. I started from kochi at 9.30 in the morning after my breakfast, which i realised should have been atleast 45 mts earlier to beat the morning traffic. I took the Alwaye-Perumbavoor route and a turn at the Kaladi Junction towards Kodanad. Though I

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-3195395079922287482008-12-17T11:11:00.011+05:302008-12-31T15:07:21.939+05:30

I have had friends asking me about the main attractions in Fort Kochi. The essence of Fort Kochi is mainly in and around the Vasco da Game square. So I am uploading some pics of the tourist district mostly centred around the Vasco da Gama Square in Fort Kochi. The St.Francis Church is located at a stone throw distance from this square. This church is famous for preserving the remains of Vasco da

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-57077763352036971402008-12-15T15:02:00.003+05:302008-12-15T15:10:49.822+05:30

I am currently working in Kochi, and though people say I am secure in my position, my job stinks. I have been trying to wriggle out my present position and look for greener pastures. It is not that my present job is not accommodating enough. I am in a high position and was basically appointed for cleaning up the muck in my office. But the backlog is too much and my subordinates are not very

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-88546017275626183502008-12-15T11:21:00.003+05:302008-12-31T15:08:42.515+05:30

Its Carnival time again in Kochi! The 25th Kochi Carnival has started with a Ceremony of Peace at St.Francis Church, Fort Kochi, on Sunday.The fortnight long carnival promises to be a riot of festivities with procession of caparisoned elephants, games and partying. The festival will conclude on the New Years day.This is a great time to be traveling to Kochi. There is the Kochi shopping festival

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-52038779782450737052008-12-12T22:20:00.012+05:302008-12-31T15:09:24.399+05:30

The penultimate day in the Volvo Ocean Race village saw prize distributions to the first three teams.The Swedish damsels were out there dressed in the traditional kerala sarees, posing for the shutterbugs. Catch some of the pics here. The Dome showed the entire ocean race on big screen complete with sound effects. The race held once in 3 years, has stopover in 13 countries, spanning over 10

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-47640720611079912812008-12-12T10:23:00.009+05:302008-12-31T15:10:30.966+05:30

Kochi is a rare blend of the old world charm and a upwardly mobile metro in the making. You have the quiet lanes of Fort Kochi, where history is preserved quite fiercely and the Kochi marina, where even the Volvo race organisers thought it befitting to change a historical route to include Kochi as a stopover for the first time. A visit to Kochi is incomplete without visiting the Jew town and the

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-14999867032997003122008-12-11T14:52:00.005+05:302008-12-31T15:09:55.703+05:30

The Cherai Beach is the closest of the beaches to the city of Kochi, if we could safely ignore the Fort Kochi Beach which is more of a sand point than a beach. To get to Cherai, you could go either via Edapally or through Vypin. The latter route is recommended because the roads are much better and the view as you cross three bridges in succession is pleasing to the eye. The cochin skyline as you

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-89876264915903722372008-12-10T12:04:00.000+05:302008-12-10T12:05:49.155+05:30

Politicians politicise terror, Media markets Terror, the Rich fear Terror, and the common man silently suffers Terror. The way the media channels went about trying to put one up on the rival channels and saying "Exclusive" on our channel shows that they were not interested in the common man, but how much increase in TRP's can be garnered by their "exclusivity". And then they blame the

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-23163886953440874682008-12-10T09:29:00.002+05:302008-12-10T09:54:20.971+05:30

Here's another excellent article. The author has put into perspective the hypocracy of the media and the elite in this writeup. I truly think that this outpour of anger and outrage at this terrorist attack was mainly due to the fact that the rich were targetted and now they feel unsafe in the confines of the plush 5 star hotels, and their partying has been affected. Otherwise how do you explain

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-46638027901351392052008-12-05T08:58:00.002+05:302008-12-05T09:12:14.465+05:30

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-44785071598078227622008-12-05T08:42:00.003+05:302008-12-05T08:48:27.534+05:30

This is a poem on Mumbai, that i received in my mail.As I saw bullets flyIt pierced my heart and made me cryAs lives were being wasted in front of meI thought, what is happening to my countryAs enemy entered from the bayIntelligence agencies exposed their decayAs bullets and bombs became order of the dayIt was too late to sit up and prayAs politicians sat back and watched the funInnocent people

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-58273224824153343342008-12-04T21:59:00.005+05:302008-12-31T15:10:59.343+05:30

Today I decided to visit the Volvo village of the Volvo Ocean Race, Kochi Stopover. The village was declared open to public yesterday after the last yacht, the Russians arrived here. I basically went to see the yachts which had weathered many a storm in the yearly round the world race. The boats are around 30 mts long and are designed for a maximum speed of upto 40 knots. But the maximum that has

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-22003711081223749852008-12-04T09:12:00.003+05:302008-12-04T12:11:54.873+05:30

I thought diversion is essential from all the terrorist mania pervading the net. So let me comment on the recent trend of small budget movies hitting the jackpot in Bollywood. In fact I am a big fan of these movies, made with actors (not stars) with a simple storyline and real to life characters. Khosla ka Ghosla was one of the fore runners in this breed of cinema. And then you had the classic

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-41262385262162723512008-12-04T07:00:00.002+05:302008-12-04T12:10:50.515+05:30

This is an email i received. Thought i will put it up!Dear Mr. Prime ministerI am a typical mouse from Mumbai. In the local train compartment which has capacity of 100 persons, I travel with 500 more mouse. Mouse at least squeak but we don't even do that.Today I heard your speech. In which you said 'NO BODY WOULD BE SPARED'. I would like to remind you that fourteen years has passed since serial

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-57141372351704232352008-12-03T21:26:00.003+05:302008-12-04T12:10:16.272+05:30

Today saw an almost unanimous outpour of citizens anger, simultaneously in all the metros across the country. This was not organised by any political party, but the attendance was way beyond the imagination of the top politicians of this country. Signs of a resurgent India - Politicians Beware!!

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-30514477967366931722008-12-03T09:38:00.002+05:302008-12-04T12:07:15.587+05:30

This is not mine. I received it on my mail. But i liked the thoughts put across by this young girl from Bangalore. So i am putting it up here.STOP THINK CRY LOVEThe siege on Mumbai left even the most experienced of us, stunned. Even those who have become immune to grief and tragedy stopped for a second. The 48-hour encounter with these extremely sophisticated and trained terrorists of Pakistani

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-48043182241623916532008-12-03T09:21:00.001+05:302008-12-17T10:10:12.437+05:30

Some SMS's and Emails after 26/11On the terrorists attacks, SMS: The NSG Commandoes dealt with the men who came on boats, but who will deal with the people who came on "votes"!After Ramgopal Varma's terror tourismSMS: Ramu ne do sarkar banayi aur ek girayi!! (good one, talking about the two sequels of the movie Sarkar that he made)On the Compensations for slain martyrs:Abhinav Bindra played games

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-28610501730880603662008-12-02T17:37:00.002+05:302008-12-04T12:14:16.241+05:30

First, the politicians sleep when a bunch of terrorists laid siege to the nation.Then they wake up from their slumber and mumble from their 101 Excuses – compilation.Then they take their sons and film producer friends on a guided terror tour package.And then when some bravehearts have sacrificed their lives for these clowns, they go out and insult the martyrs family in the hour of their greatest

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-39073536954203961292008-12-02T17:36:00.003+05:302008-12-31T15:11:33.067+05:30

All the yachts have reached Kochi on its maiden venture to the Indian coast. Now there will be a ten day stop over at the Volvo village in Wellington Island in Kochi. The cultural programmes planned during this period include fusion music led by chenda maestro Mattannur Sankaran Kutty and Balabhaskar, "Soul India", the music night by renowned singer Hariharan, Navalk Band, Kathakali, Panchavadyam

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-88857038203159053052008-12-01T13:29:00.001+05:302008-12-04T12:11:19.771+05:30

This is in continuation to my points to ponder series on a solution to the constant terror threat. It is not debatable that our politicians indulge in vote bank politics- be it a Raj Thackeray, Mayawati, Amar Singh or Lalu Prasad Yadav. In addition every region has its own regional parties based on caste and community. Newer parties are sprouting every day, with each egoistic rebel in some party

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-28999845718160010322008-12-01T13:27:00.001+05:302008-12-04T12:06:24.327+05:30

Its Q & A time, after the Mumbai attacks. Let’s consider the following:A lot of people are still indulging in rhetoric as was evident on some of the debates on TV. Comments like Lets not blame anybody, terrorists have no religion, etc are being mouthed by some so called "intellectuals". I would like to point out here, that these intellectuals can deny the terrorists a religion, but the terrorists

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-92046585096617657782008-11-29T20:48:00.001+05:302008-12-04T12:13:39.723+05:30

I had a comment from Pakistan on my blog stating that the attack was local and in revenge for the various attacks on the muslims in india. Though i would like to open to all views, i feel this is not the time to point fingers and create tension between communities. So i am not publishing the comment at this point of time.The evidences gathered until now all point to the involvement of a foreign

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-48201403941433739852008-11-29T10:10:00.000+05:302008-11-29T10:33:38.996+05:30

The war is finally over in Mumbai and all the terrorists have been killed. It is now time to start asking questions. This constant peaking of anger whenever a terrorist attack unfolds and the subsequent capitulation to acceptance should not repeat itself. The high and mighty have been targetted this time and not innocent middle class indians who do not have a say nor form a votebank. The mumbai

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-55944639310239452932008-11-28T13:49:00.005+05:302008-12-31T15:12:07.409+05:30

Athirampally Waterfalls is a picturesque picnic spot, just 80 kms off Kochi by road. It is a place where the whole family can enjoy a dip in the cool flowing water surrounded by hills and greenery.If you are driving down, take the NH 47 from Kochi going towards Thrissur. Your could follow the highway and take a deviation at Chalakudy. But I would recommend taking a deviation after Angamaly,

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-27914034393869178192008-11-28T13:41:00.002+05:302008-12-31T15:12:46.823+05:30

We are all very excited about the Big event in Kochi coming up soon – The Volvo Ocean Race, which has its stopover in Kochi. The yachts started from Cape Town and are now just 636 nautical miles off kochi. The yacht Ericsson 4 has taken a big lead and has managed to tear away from the rest of the fleet. The gap between the Ericsson 4 and 3 has now increased to 57 nautical miles. The current wind

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-64997648252817317922008-11-28T08:56:00.001+05:302008-12-04T12:05:40.717+05:30

I woke up today morning to find the war is still on in Mumbai. This has turned out to be the most effective attack on India, one that will stay in our minds for long, especially watching the iconic landmark of Mumbai, the Taj, which was the very symbol of the Mumbai pride, burning and brought to ransom.I have a strong feeling that now there will be a lateral shift in the modus operandi of future

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-85137755422040078492008-11-27T18:53:00.000+05:302008-11-27T19:01:04.421+05:30

This is by far the worst attack we have faced. And this is probably the first time that the rich and powerful have been targetted. This hopefully though a cruel way to look at it, should provoke the politicians to act and lay aside the bickerings. It is also time that the uniformed personnel come together and face the national threat together, rather than accusing each other and trying to score

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-36238555457272293032008-11-27T13:31:00.001+05:302008-12-04T12:05:08.123+05:30

The terror attack on Mumbai today is a grim reminder of the unsafe times we live in. It has been carried out in such a brazen manner in an unexpected location and against innocent people. I still remember the times when I was in Mumbai, that I spent loitering on the Colaba causeway. The street is full of life even in the middle of the night, with people shopping for trinkets and antiquities. I

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-45156646555028148672008-11-27T13:30:00.002+05:302008-12-17T10:09:17.953+05:30

There is an international student office dedicated to the welfare and support of international students arriving in Glasgow to study in the University of Strathclyde. There is a full time international student advision based here who will send you pre arrival information regarding accommodation or any query. There is also a welcome programme where a team of volunteers meet the new students at the

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-82787358428758170592008-11-27T13:28:00.002+05:302008-12-17T10:08:41.645+05:30

The place to hangout for students, the Union has one of the biggest students bars in Britain as well as one of the biggest game zones (around 20 pool tables). The bubble Lounge on level 5 plays host live music six nights a week. Another place to be is Vertigo at level 8. The main bar is the Barony Bar, where you can shake your hip and your leg after or on the way to being stoned. The Union also

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-65781256505725819252008-11-26T18:59:00.001+05:302008-12-04T12:13:06.178+05:30

I had the good fortune to be a British Chevening Scholar for pursuing my higher studies in the UK. This falls under the category of Commonwealth Scholarships and is availabe to any citizen of the Commonwealth for studies which directly relate to the economic and social development of the country of their origin. The Scholarship includes the full tuition fees, which are paid directly to the

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219957850556780689.post-41522893434051989342008-11-26T18:31:00.002+05:302008-12-17T10:07:26.615+05:30

As an alumni of the University of Strathclyde, I have fond memories of the beautiful and friendly city of Glasgow. Situated on the banks of the river Clyde, Glasgow is Scotlands largest city. The name StrathClyde has its origin from the scottish language and literally translated it means "on the banks of Clyde".Strathclyde University is a major international centre for postgraduate research and

Rameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07893178286944791743noreply@blogger.com0