Doughnut - Krispy Kreme, Bangalore

Doughnut is one of those deep, childish pleasures one never grows out of. It may not be much to look at, but under that coated exterior is rich and inside the soft dough lays a sweet secret. Encouraging one to play a mindless game of locating the filling entry point before biting into it and experiencing the delight of the exact location is a happy surprise to the eater.

My hubby and I were driving down Church Street on late Sunday evening and we noticed a big Krispy Kreme neon sign. Such coincidence is rare as earlier the very same day we had been out to visit relatives and caught up with an aunt of mine from California, USA. In the normal course of conversation she casually opined that the Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme are the best confectionaries she ever had. Never having tasted this, I wondered when we can get a bite of such delights in Bangalore. Come evening, we continued our outing by wandering aimlessly in one of the busiest shopping streets and surprise - Krispy Kreme had  launched its first outlet at Namma Bengaluru on 19th Jan 2013.

My sweet tooth almost always gets the better of me even though I try to be conscious of its impact. We quickly rushed in the store and found the menu boasting of many treats and the counters was filled with many colorful and different shaped Doughnuts. I happily chose Classic Glazed Doughnut with cinnamon while my hubby selected the Chocolate Doughnut with roasted almonds for himself plus a blueberry filled doughnut to share. Believe me, one bite of the glazed doughnut and I was swimming in a sugary cloud. It just melted in my mouth – it was that lite, soft and yummy.

These tender pillow-like doughnuts would be an ideal dessert after any meal especially after a weekend breakfast. If one is in the mood for delicious doughnuts and a hot/cold beverage - I would highly recommend Krispy Kreme – Bangalore. The ambience is good, pricing is reasonable and it’s 100% vegetarian, but finding a good parking space in Church Street is a pain so plan accordingly!

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Our Six Wheel Drive To Hassan

Car is generally preferred as a good mode of travel as we can travel in groups; go to farther destinations with comparatively less fatigue, safe, protected from all weather conditions and we can carry almost anything we require for the trip like food, water and clothes (bulky and heavy stuff too…).

Travelling on bike is for those young bike enthusiasts who love to feel the bike, wear cool gear, maneuver and challenge road conditions and brave elements. The major complaint I had when I toured on bike was that it forced me to travel light – packing in only essentials even though it’s a long trip. Heavy bag packs causes lot of backache and discomfort while riding. This being true for many, we often miss out on that bulky rain gear or that change of shoes in case one gets dirty simply because there is no place to carry it. A few bikes like Royal Enfield Thunderbird have an option to attach saddle bags to carry luggage, but sadly many sports bikes like Ninja don’t have this.

My hubby and I had a very interesting trip last long weekend wherein we had an opportunity to travel with couple of family members to Hassan (around 200 kilometers from Bangalore). As we all wanted to drive we ended up taking a trip in one sports car – Honda City Vtec and one sports bike Ninja 650R. This unique six wheel drive was lots of fun.  We all got to stash foodstuff and luggage in car and enjoy the bike ride baggage free. Also we took turns travelling in bike and car as it suited our fancy, trying to determine who the better motorist is and which machine moves faster. For the short span of time spent on sightseeing we all took the pleasure of travelling together in car.  

This suited us perfectly as we got that alone time we crave for when we go out on trips also not compromising on the time we love to spend with our friends. Hope this new style of travelling catches on and we share many such trips with our friends in the future.

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Lepakshi: Historic & Architectural Monument

Lepakshi, is a small laid back village located in the Anantapur District, in Andhra Pradesh about 120 km (75 miles) north of Bangalore.  Built in mid-16th century, Lepakshi is a perfect example of the Vijaynagar style of architecture and is a treat to the eyes. There is a very interesting story on how this village got its name - Lord Rama found the mythical bird Jatayu lying wounded here, its wings were cut off by Ravana when he abducted Sita. After Ravana had cut the wing of the bird, Lord Rama said "le pakshi"(rise bird) and the bird rose. Hence, this sacred place was named as Lepakshi.

The visitors are greeted by a huge Nandi bull made out of a single stone of granite measuring 15 feet tall and 27 feet long. This awe creating structure is surrounded by lush green garden and a small pool of beautiful lotuses. On a hillock known as Kurma Saila (tortoise shaped hill) lies the main temple consisting of three principle shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra and many small ones of other deities such as Durga/Mahakali, Papanatheswara… This is perhaps one of the very few temples containing idols of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

Legend has it that the Naga of the Nagalinga was carved out of a single stone by sculptors while they waited for their lunch.

One more famous spot in this temple is "Eyes of Virupakshanna". History says, due to king's misunderstanding with the temple's builder, king ordered to make him blind. Hearing this, the builder plucked his own eyes and threw at the temple walls. Till date one can find those blood scars on that particular wall. The builder of the temple did not survive long after this and hence the Kalyanamantapa was left unfinished.

On the walls of this temple we find many sculptures which were created by the artisans of Vijayanagara Empire depicting various deities and also several stories like Mahabharatha and Ramayana. In the same theme, the roof is adorned by many beautiful paintings of natural colour mixtures.

There is a small garden maintained around the premises and many small charming shops at the feet of the temple. In all Lepakshi is a blend of mythology, architecture and beauty. 

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Biking From The Back Seat?

Hello readers,

I have a lot of confidence in my hubby’s riding skills as we own a Royal Enfield Bullet - Thunderbird. We had a wonderful time riding on this and have covered many destinations. Thunderbird has a metal outlook and looks really royal indeed. It rides like a dream on the road and gives very slim chances of skidding or wobbling. 

As a pillion rider, I found the seating extremely comfortable mainly because of the backrest and the side handles. It’s the most sought after bike for long rides in mountainous and hilly rides like from Leh to Ladakh. The only drawback of this bike (if you can call it so) is maintenance. It requires one to constantly get it repaired and serviced but at an economical cost.

My long time nightmare came true when my hubby outgrew his Thunderbird and invested in a super bike – Kawasaki Ninja 650R. This is a bike of a different genre and is not comparable at all in any way to our other bike, also it costs way too much. Ninja is big, green and mean. It commands a lot of attention from others on the road. Even when parked in the garage I found many passersby ogling at it. Whenever we take out the bike, many kids from around the house pester my hubby for a small ride. Neighbor’s envy owners pride I guess. We have been on a couple of trips on this and man this bike can zip and rip!!

In this unpredictable weather conditions we ventured out for a 200 kilometers monsoon ride in Tumkur Road. No predetermined destination, we just wanted to feel the wind in our hair and explore the power of Ninja!!! As predicted it was awesome. The power, the feel and the grip are all very commendable. I had no choice but to agree that this is a very practical sports tourer and its fuel efficient too. The seat is broader than normal so it’s comfortable but I miss the backrest of Thunderbird. Also the shocks on this bike are too good and gave me a very minimal back ache than anticipated.

So a new adventure has started and as I head out for more trips, l look forward to all the up’s and down’s (pun intended) on Ninja.

Happy biking…..

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How To Make Travelling Fun?

On road trips, very frequently we hear people crib about travel – duration, comfort, food and so on making the journey of fellow traveler torturous and also spoiling the fun.  They would not have even realized this and already been tagged as a mojo buster by others, tolerated by family and mocked by rest of the world. Many may even think twice about travelling with such people. If you have a sneaky suspicion that you may be one such person then you can still be saved. Pick up any or all of the below tricks and allow yourself to enjoy and be good company to your fellow passengers:

Plan a proper attire - only when we are comfortable we can relax. Dress simple and casual like trousers and tee. Avoid tight clothes and heavy accessories. Look good and feel good.

Eat lite eat often – Don’t stuff yourself with heavy or oily food before travelling. Eat light and carry lots of chocolates, wafers, baked chips, veggies, fruits to eat along the way. Don’t hesitate to share the goodies.

Look around, click snaps – the world is beautiful. It has a lot of visual delights to entertain you. Capture them in your eyes, hearts and cameras forever. This will give to lots of topics to converse too.

Carry some fun music – playing music is a great way to pass time and also prevents people from dozing off. Carry headphones and portable music player in case your choice of music doesn’t match with tempo of the group.

Play or organize some travel games- karaoke, sing along, word games, I spy, 20 questions…. are all great games to keep oneself and travel companions entertained.

Be a navigator – time to take some initiative. If you feel you have a good sense of direction then pick up a map and select the best route. Also in case of heavy traffic or roads under repair you can redirect the journey and save lots of time for all.

Take the wheel – driving gives a huge adrenaline rush and believe me it can drive all your travel blues away. Also it’s a life saver if you are prone to motion sickness.

Move around, Take breaks – coffee breaks, juice breaks are often a good idea. It gives opportunity to move about the car and stretch your legs. While you are at it move around, maybe even swap your seats with others to spice things up.

Always remember vacation doesn't start on reaching the destination, journey is part of going on vacation. So enjoy planning, travel and the destination.   Hope these mantras help you be more fun, have more fun and get you many more invitations to travel.

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