Our Trip Down South

After getting settled back at home, I just got time to write about our trip to south. It was a real great experience to be away from home, ordering the food you like to eat which you dont prepare generally at home... etc etc. Though we had already booked the tickets a month back, it was only in the RAC and it got confirmed. In the mean time, when booking the tickets we had booked a ticket for my FIL too (he is 80 years old). But I was so tensed that we should be able to take good care of him till we come back. But doctor asked him not to go as he is having a variable BP and Sugar. Oh he missed the trip very much. But we took snaps and videos where ever possible and showed him this week end. He was happy that we did that.

Though the tickets got confirmed, the seats and berth were not allotted. We had booked our tickets in Kanyakumari Expresses, that comes to Tambaram at 5.48pm and leaves at 5.50pm. We had 5 luggages and two kids with us. To find the coach and berth we left home by 4.45 (though the ride from home to station is hardly 10 min in auto). Though you plan things in advance, whatever happens will happen; the auto driver got caught in traffic before coming to our home and he came only at 5.00pm. But we didnot want him to drive very fast and we reached the station by around 5.10pm. We reached the station from the east Tambaram side, climbed the stairs to platform number 1 (luckily it is the first one from the east side). But on checking the coach that is allotted to us, we found that ours is the 19th coach and we had to walk almost 1/2 a kilometer.

Husband took charge of the largest box we had and also son. He carried him along with a backpack. Daughter took the smallest box (luckily both boxes are stroller boxes). I took charge of the other backpack, a stroller bag, the dinner bag and kids' bag. We reached the place and waited for close to 15 mins. We got into the B2 coach, as the door to the B3 coach was not open. We got settled in our seats. As we had asked my husband's friend to arrange for the darshan the next day in Tiruchendur temple, he called up just when had to get into the train. We returned the call once we got settled and got the details of the person to contact. It was a real nice journey and as the IPL match was also going on almost all the co passengers were either getting calls or messages from their home about the match.

We had a old couple who were doing social service, a Product Sales person from Appollo hospitals and an Engineer from Kalpakkam as our co passengers.

We had our early dinner of Idly (Milagaipodila thoithu eduthathu), and curd rice. And in Villupuram milk came, kids had a cup full of (not the railway cup, but I had taken two of their cups, which filled two cups full of railway cup) milk and slept peacefully. As we travelled 3tier AC, the journey was even more pleasant.

Will continue in the next post.... as to what happenned on 28th.

 

Dear all,
Thanks for your immediate response. It is really nice to receive responses for travelogues. I am happy that you all liked the Idly+Milagaipodi and curd rice. I forgot to add one thing, the side dish for curd rice is home made Mangai Thokku, carefully packed in Ziplock cover by DH.

Yes Saraswathi, I am still in Villupuram, had to sleep the entire night, so will continue with the 28th.

 

Inspite of we telling the attendent to wake up at 4.00am in the morning, he didnot do it (planning to write a letter to Shri. Lallo Prasad Yadhav). But luckily I had set up alarm in my mobile phone, and it ringed faithfully. The engineer from Kalpakkam also have to get down at Tirunelveli so he had asked us to wake him up. We had the two lower berths and one middle berth. Daughter took the middle berth and we both took the lower berth. Son was shuffling between the two. Whenever he woke up he wanted to go to the other person.

We got up at 4.00 brushed our teeth and got out our things ready only to find out that the train is 45 mins late. Oh my God!!!! (You know something when you are out of your home especially when you are travelling, you will get hungry so much immediatly after you brush your teeth).

We thought that we will get coffee like we got milk the previous night. But for that we had to wait till 5.00. Luckily milk was also served the person who bought the coffee can so kids too had their cup of milk.
(Right from day one till we landed we would have had coffee and milk for the max of Rs.1500 will you beleive it? because every where we go those items are very costly. A small cup of milk costs Rs. 5.00 in train and Rs. 8.00 in hotels and if it is served in your rooms it is Rs. 9.00)

The train reached Tirunelveli station by around 5.20am. Got all the things down and called for the driver who is supposed to meet us with a placard at the entrance of the Tirunelveli station. Hubby's phone was going out of charge so I had to use mine and my handbag was bulging with so many items, which I simply grabbed and put in (medicine kit - which we used in the previous night, tissues and wet wipes which we used in the morning (dint have time to put into the bag in which we had packed them) ). We kept walking and kept talking. The train stopped in the platform 3 of the Tirunelveli Junction and we had to go to the entrance which is almost another half a kilometer walk down the entire platform. As my husband's mobile was loosing charge, and as he had to co-ordinate with the driver, I called up both the parents that we had arrived safely to Tirunelveli. After doing that I simply put my mobile into the available pouch in my bag. But lo it had fallen down. bonkbonkbonk. Just as I realized I dont have my mobile in my bag, a girl called me from behind, akka unga mobile (sister your mobile). I had no words to thank her. We were crossing the tracks (they are doing some construction work in the platform).

We were just looking around for a placard, but nothing was visible. So husband called the driver's number again, and the person who was standing next to us responded and he is the driver for us the entire trip. He is Mr. ShankaraSubbu of Standard Cabs Tirunelveli, one of the famous travels.

Standard Cabs have their own cottages in Courtallam and Kodaikanal. You could arrange with them if you wish to stay there. Any body wish to get their number and email id pls send me a PM, I will forward it to them. But if the moderators permit me to post it here, I will post it in the future posts.

Our first place of visit is to Tiruchendur. Our main purpose of visit to down south is to do Vibuthi Abishekam for the Tiruchendur Murugan - Senthil Andavan. Will write about the experiences of Tiruchendur in the next post. In the mean time start your travel with me towards Tiruchendur.

 

Hi Saraswathi,
Just give me some more time to tell about our stay at Tirunelveli. We came back to Tirunelveli only on the 30th evening. So wait till I write about the experience on that day.