Short Trips: Happenings of failed long distance trips
Avalabetta, Nearby Bangalore
One fine day, we formed the WhatsApp group for a 3 day trip to Coorg. We had a gang of 12–15 members all set and ready to go for an adventure, planned to go, after 2 months. People of the entire big group (52) have been notified and a small subgroup is formed with the people ready to come. I knew there will be cancellations and some sticky reasons just pop up later from the members, so I planned the package from Thrilophilla and took advance money from all who are initially-enthusiastic group. I also gave a last date to decide and tell so that I’ll make the reservations. Just when everything is going great and planned, there comes the black hole. One drop, forms a black hole, and the entire 1-week hard-worked plan, and group gets sucked in! All that was left was the supposed plan and a bunch of bank account details that I have to return the amount to.
Days passed with this cheerless, so formed WhatsApp subgroup. A thought was provoked to throw some pity towards the longed faces. A short trip. a place called Avalabetta, nearby to Bangalore, was trending then. I googled up about the place and it looked pretty good. 80kms from Bangalore, sounded like an easy day trip. This idea bought everyone back from dead, in the subgroup, and we finally made a big round table conference to decide
· 9 of us are going.
· Let’s book 2 Zoom cars
· We shall start early in a Sunday as few people had night shifts.
It was all planned and two of us, myself and Thomas had booked the Zoom cars, as it turns out in discussion that we were the only drivers. We booked at two different locations and fixed on who to pick whom and where. Everything was set and the gush-in-the-gut was running in everyone for the day to arrive.
Very fast the days passed by and the fine Sunday came in. I had just returned from my hometown at 4am in the morning and the car gets delivered at 6:30. I open my flat door to see a bunch of people, whom I partially know, lying everywhere on the floor. Yeah, obviously drunk! I silently went into my room and dozed off for a while, got up and got ready, as if I was in a jungle and I don’t mind the animals moving around me. I explicitly wanted to tell this. Why? The moment I entered the house, watching the horror happening in confused state, I realized there was guy puking in the bathroom. And again when I was about to leave to the delivery point of the Zoom car (I gave my office as delivery drop and it’s very near to home), I still hear that guy puking. I wondered what that guy had or drank to bring out such an infinite p**e!
Keeping all this aside, I reached my office and clock ticked 6:30. Eagerly waiting for the car, I get a call from Zoom customer saying they can’t deliver the car on time as it has issues and there’s going to be a delay. I was okay with it. They delay wait is over and I don’t have a car. I called up the service number, they asked me the details,
“Sir, Can I have your registered mobile number?”
“Sure, it’s 822******9”
“Thank you sir. May I know your name please?”
“Ravi Tej”
“May I know your registered email address?”
“ritzyrj@gmail.com”
“Thank you for the details sir. May I know what the issue is?”
I explained her the issue and
“I’ll reach out to concerned party and get back to you sir.”
*puts me on hold*
*beep beep beep*
After several beeps, my call gets cut! I was surprised. I thought it must be a network problem and I called them up again. This time a new person picks it. I went thru the same 5 questions game and this person also puts me on hold and the call gets cut! Believe me I was so patient that day I did it 26 times and I had never got the same person again, so I had to explain everything again and again. I got so pissed and I outburst on the 26th person.
“This is the 26th call today and you are 26th person I’m explaining the situation. If you guys are disinterested in delivering the car, you can rather tell, go to hell, instead of torturing me like this. Such a reckless customer service. What do you guys think of me? Just because I’m patient enough you keep rotating calls and I’ll leave it after a point. I’m recording this call and I’m going to sue everyone who spoke with me today on the basis of customer harassment. Do I look like a fool to you? Who the hell gave you job?” — I was totally on rage and I didn’t know what I was talking also. But I was careful in using words. Unfortunately, this time it was a girl. I was so sorry for her. She got utter terrified. How do I know? I got my car ready in next 10mins and they made an upgrade from Hatchback to Sedan. Yeah, that terrified!
Meanwhile all this happened, Thomas got the car and they started off to Avalabetta too. The other 2 whom I was supposed to pick up had their breakfast and were waiting for it to get digested. I took the car and drive as good as possible and picked them up and us enroute, finally!
The other guys were ahead of us, so we asked them to carry on and wait for us after reaching the place. We had a lazy breakfast on the way and were going smoothly, all chilled up.
After we reach the place called, we need to take a left detour to go towards the hill. Till this point it was a smooth sailing on the vast four-lane road. After the detour the trip took a twist in the road. The roads were so bad that, they looked as if a big dinosaur walked on them, ripping off all the thar! It was single road after you go further and no road later on. That moment when we reached the entry point my legs just got the adrenaline rush for relaxation. At the entry point we have to make a note of the car details and it’s little farther for the top point. Just when my legs stretched, there came the mighty uphill. The guy who laid this road must have worked in a place where they take no effort in pushing things down. It was that steep! Forget hairpin bends, these are narrower and steeper. Pushing the limits of my car’s first gear, we finally made it to the top.
Our guys were waiting and we somehow parked the vehicle at a good spot. It was so crowded that day, I felt that all these people must have read the same blog which talked about this place. I took my DSLR out and the monkey poses from the group started.
Coming to the place, what does it have? An amazing view. And? A perfect place where you can take a picture that says ‘at the tip of the world’. That’s all? Yeah, a big queue to take that picture at the spot. Nothing else? Maybe a photographer to take your picture when you are standing there.
From the parking point you have to walk a little towards the other side of the hill for the photo spot. It was long and never ending queue. We stayed at a different, plain rock for a while and started all the selfie and candid buzz. We asked one of us to stand in queue so that we all will join when they get near. And our chance was about to come. I took the photographers arena, from where you need to take the pic to show that you are the ‘tip of the world’ and my monkeys flowed in one by one making different poses, while others in queue watch us like a new species in zoo.
Finally the session comes to an end with me being Photographer to other group of people who didn’t have a camera. I had to see those monkey poses too and can’t comment on them. They shared their contact details to WhatsApp the pictures after I reach Bangalore.
We started back to Bangalore hunting for a good spot to have lunch. Our dear search parties are so brilliant that, they searched for next 50kms to tell they are no food stops, while we just passed so many good dhabas! After that the hunger reached new levels and demanded food. We stopped at the next food place we came by and had good lunch. A place called Biriyani Mall and A2B were our savers!
With bellies full of ghee and chicken, we started back planning who to go with whom, so that we can drop them off and return the car. Just after we started, to wake up our drooling minds, a yellow Lamborghini passed by us. I tried chasing it in my amazing Honda Amaze. Even to our surprise, an Ambassador which was ahead of the Lamborghini, wasn’t allowing it to cross it. It was such a scene to watch. After doing the Uber Pool service, dropping my friends at their homes, I returned the car and went back home, closed my eyes and to end such a beautiful mixed day, with lots of mixed memories to cherish!
Visit the place during the weekdays to enjoy it the most. Not a bad place at all for a good half a day visit. Takes our mind off the tensions and stress.
