1. Bhadrachalam & Papikondalu Hills
2. Bombay
3. Vodarevu & Suryalanka beaches, Chirala, Bapatla & Guntur.
4. Brahmapur & Gopal-on-Sea, Orissa
5. Bombay
6. Bangalore
7 & 8. Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Phalodi, Khichan, Jodhpur & Delhi
9. Hubli
10. Bombay
11. Badami
12. Konaseema houseboat, Narasapur

So far, luck has been on my side and things have just fallen in place & I could balance health, family, work & social life in my travels.

I have 40 more weekends to go. Sounds like fun. There will be some inevitable duplicates like Bombay. Some of you are disputing that my frequency to Bombay is kind of unfair. Common, i need to go home on important birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

Another issue is, how do far off places like Rajasthan & Delhi count as weekend trips? They were longer trips, but the point is I was out of Hyderabad and was travelling with vengeance for those 10 days. They are trips and I cant be bothered with the technical definition of a weekend trip. I will travel on every weekend, how and where arent necessarily exact weekend destinations.

My bigger concern is that I have already been to so many of the places that are easy weekend getaways from Hyderabad.

Out of the remaining 40 weekends, I have about 20 places in mind, have already planned the next 8 trips and am open for suggestions and ideas for the rest.

I’m not likely to post the details about my friends who came along with me to respect their privacy. I do maintain a gMap, travel calendar and a CouchSurfing calendar. In case you feel you deserve to know those details and want me to share them with you, let me know.

By popular demand, I will be timely in posting details about my weekend trips.

I am returning from one of the most serene & beautiful weekends I have ever spent. What made it so unique? The fact that I spent an entire day on a houseboat. Houseboats bring visions of Kerala & Kashmir to mind. But, this is in the usually dreaded Andhra Pradesh!

For a weekend away from Hyderabad, this trip is ideal. Jellyfish, dolphins, tropical riverbanks, peaceful cruise, trip to a tiny river island with coconut plantations, cozy cabins, an upper deck for ourselves & diving into the river from there, swimming, spectacular sunset, faraway beach, long but scenic rickshaw ride, a locked rectangular lighthouse, etc. were the highlights of the weekend.

Food was alright, nothing to rave about, nor was it horrible.

The train ride was also convenient, took the Narasapur-Hyderabad Express for the round trip. The overall trip cost me about Rs. 10000 split 4 ways. The houseboat itself costs a crazy Rs. 5040 which makes it imperative that you do it with a group and not solo. I had great company and will remember this weekend for a long time because of the people as well as the place.

cd:  alright, tell me more about your travel philosophy

me: my philosophy… umm… God made the physical map of the world, and man made the political map. i guess i hv to travel across borders to see the beautiful world… but i am a patriot at heart (although i dont totally belv in the concept of countries) .. and so to better represent myself as an indian in the future on my rtw trips… i am travelling all over india (or at least southern & central) this year

cd: cool

me: and i travel for multiple reasons…

1. to meet & deal with “the common man”… away from the wannabe american life tht most of the urban ppl live…
2. to just be outdoors… life in hyd & particularly at work is very indoors. lil things amaze me and thrill me… like a sunset… i am in love with the colours of the sky during sunset/sunrise times

3. photography….i am keen and self-taught… n i hv ample time to practice on various monuments, etc. & of course for the cheap touristy thrills of clicking… “i was here” kind of photographs…

cd: heh

me: what about you

cd: the real deal is, i once read a quote by st.augustine. i quote, “the world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page”

  now, that caught my fancy

  since then i have wanted to travel

I have a love-hate relationship with Hyderabad. I started living away from home & working in this city. I have a nice shelter here and am living in comfort that the average Hyderabadi doesn’t enjoy. And i love the Islamic heritage of the city. What I hate is the hostility & the weather. The common man on the street is very hostile compared to any other place. I feel this the moment I interact with someone in some other place. Winters are great but they are awesome everywhere else too. Summers are crazy and it barely rains in the monsoons. If it does, the city gets flooded too easily.

Towards the end of 2008 I realized I had travelled 26 weekends out of Hyderabad city. I told myself I can easily do 30 in 2009. Actually even 35 seemed reachable. After a week or so, as the idea grew in my head, I felt I could touch 40 with some effort and what if…. What if i hit 50 or better still… go all the way, travel all 52 weekends outside the city?

It is human nature to disbelieve, resist and discourage all extremes. This is mildly extreme, but most of my friends have the faith that if there is anyone passionate enough and crazy enough to do it, that they know personally, its me. Of course, its straining relationships with some, who feel I am not giving them enough time and abandoning them on the only days I could spend with the, but I am sure they will understand, that travelling for all 52 is important for me. Some have actually joined me or have made plans to join me on some of my weekends. If there is any one year of my life when I can do it the most conveniently, 2009 feels like the one.

What about health?
Will test my fitness and help me get closer to my body and undertand its limits and needs. I have already realized the importance of drinking enough water and eating fruits everyday.

It seems you’ve got too much money to blow?
Nope, I earn a very middle class salary and have expenses & savings to take care of. The weekend travels are almost always budget trips and often the intention is to keep the expenses minimal. Even if all my trips cost me Rs.1000 each, it would be Rs.52000 at the end of the year. This is a very modest and a super-optimistic estimate, I feel Rs.75000 is more realistic. I have made a couple of basic rules, travel only by Sleeper Class trains and avoid buying as much water as possible. In the summers, I might travel in AC and there will be thirsty times when I will purchase water, but will be conservative. Of course, I stay in backpacker lodges & guest houses or sometimes even a dharamshala to cut down on rents.

What about your job? How do you get so many leaves?
I have a 5-day week, and I work 60+ hours in those days. I deserve the break. In case I come late on Monday mornings or leave early on Fridays, my managers are kind & flexible Also, 2009 is filled with long weekends as multiple public holidays fall on Fridays.

Are there really 52 places to go from Hyderabad?
I doubt, please suggest me some. There will be inevitable repeats like Bombay, as that is my home-town.

What do you do on your trips?
I like to see places and meet people. So, I click photos, talk to strangers and eat great vegeterian food. Sometimes, I also couchsurf.

Happy New Year to you! I can’t believe you actually read my blog  

2008 was the year of travel for me. Roughly 26 weekends outside Hyderabad city limits!

I want it to be 40+ weekends this year. I don’t think it will be difficult

This map shows the places I travelled to in 2008.

In 2009 most of the public holidays are on Fridays, ideal for travel. This has to be another year of travel. A greater year w.r.t. travel. I will be travelling mostly by trains and other means of public transport. Very very rarely, I will use flights. Travel = trains. The maximum luxury i will indulge in, is occassionaly booking a 3rd AC train ride back to Hyderabad, in case I have had a rugged weekend and want to be fresh for work on Mondays.