Exploring the Magic of Prague and Vienna - Chapter 1: Prague

After Four Years: Exploring the Magic of Prague and Vienna

Hello, dear readers! It’s been a whopping four years since I last wrote a blog post, and oh, how the world has changed in that time! We’ve settled into our own apartment, I conquered a marathon (yes, it’s true!), our kids have grown up, and I’ve delved into the world of anchoring and emceeing. But today, I’m thrilled to share a recent adventure that took us to the enchanting cities of Prague and Vienna!

A Long-Awaited Journey

Prague and Vienna had long occupied a special spot on our travel wishlist. The moment we laid eyes on those stunning red-roofed buildings of Prague, our hearts melted. Vienna, with its rich tapestry of culture, history, and music, was calling us just as loudly. Earlier this year, we secured a Schengen visa while exploring Italy and Switzerland, which felt like winning the lottery given the visa process can be a real headache! With six months to play with, we were determined to make the most of it.

After some back-and-forth, we settled on Prague and Vienna. As music lovers, how could we resist visiting cities so steeped in musical heritage?

Discovering Prague: The City of a Hundred Spires

Our adventure kicked off in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, famously known as “the City of a Hundred Spires.” Spanning both sides of the Vltava River (pronounced "vol-taa-vuh"), this city is a treasure trove of history and beauty. We chose to stay near the Old Town Square, a perfect base for exploring historic sites, vibrant culture, and the enchanting cobblestone streets that tell stories of medieval times.

One of our first stops was the iconic Astronomical Clock, built in 1410. Can you believe it’s the oldest functioning clock in the world? Every hour, it chimes a symphony of mechanical wonders that draws crowds in awe.

Crossing the Charles Bridge, we felt the magic of Prague seep into our souls. This stunning bridge connects the Old Town to the majestic Prague Castle. Speaking of which, we explored the castle complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s over 1,000 years old! With its sprawling gardens, towering cathedrals, and breathtaking views of the city, it’s truly a must-see.

A Cultural Feast

Prague isn’t just about its history; it’s also a hub of vibrant cultural life. Did you know that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed and premiered some of his most celebrated works here? Our room was adorned with books and artwork about Mozart, including the fascinating fact that his opera "Don Giovanni" premiered at the Estates Theater in 1787 to roaring acclaim from the locals.

And if you think Prague is all about classical music, think again! The city pulses with nightlife—pubs, clubs, and live music venues keep the energy high long after the sun sets.

Navigating the City

While exploring on foot is the best way to absorb the atmosphere, Prague’s efficient tram system makes getting around a breeze. Here’s a quick list of must-see sights and activities to add to your itinerary:

• Old Town Square
• Astronomical Clock (don’t forget to climb the spiral stairs!)
• Charles Bridge
• Prague Castle
• Estates Theater 
• Powder Gate
• Church of Our Lady Before Týn 
• Vltava River Cruise 
• Wander the Old Town Streets 
• Karlova Street for souvenirs 
• Trdelník ( which means a hollowed out log) or Chimney Cake—a must-try street snack 
• Local Czech Beer —sample Pilsner Urquell or Budvar
• Pařížská Street, Nerudova Street, Zlata Ulička for scenic strolls 
• Petrin Tower for panoramic views on a sunny day
• Delicious Vegetarian Options—we found some delightful local dishes
• Dancing House—a modern marvel amidst the historic charm
• V Ungeltu for unique local souvenirs
• Nightlife Hotspots—don’t miss Lokal Dlouhá and DejaVu music bar

While our two and a half days were brisk and the weather a bit chilly, we still covered a lot of ground and made unforgettable memories. Sure, we faced some rain and couldn’t capture all the postcard-perfect moments, but the experience was rich and rewarding nonetheless.

Until Next Time!

I’ll wrap up this post here, but stay tuned for my reflections on Vienna, where the music and magic continue! I hope this guide helps you plan your own adventure in Prague. Safe travels!

Digital Schooling in the age of #21daysoflockdown

The country came to a grinding halt since March 25th. Since the older folk and young kids were more prone to the #Coronavirus, it made sense to keep them indoors. And for a country with a population of 120 Crores plus, the risk of the pandemic escalating would have been too much. To #FlattenTheCurve, the country's leadership decided to lockdown the country for 3 weeks (#21daylockdown) from March 25th to April 14th 2020. 

All this meant that schools would be closed, and parents would have to scramble to figure out how to keep kids busy (it felt like an extended summer break). While the reports of #COVID19 spreading rapidly across the globe was keeping everyone in panic mode, some school authorities used the time to devise innovative ways to keep kids engaged. And thus came the time for #DigitalSchooling and #Collaborative Learning. 

With the #21daylockdown , schools like The Shriram Universal School, Hyderabad #tsushyderabad introduced digital learning. #NewAcademicYear 2020-21 began  today (April 1st, 2020). The school is moving content online - creating online videos and PPTs and still enforcing a school time table. Some schools have partnered with mobile app creators to push course content through apps. Kudos to the schools for taking such steps! 

Of course, there is a greater role for parents to play in such circumstances - e.g. ensuring discipline from kids at home - to wake up, follow a routine, watch the videos (under adult supervision), clarify questions and such. Of course, it may strain the eyes a little bit, but it is any day, better than letting the kids watch TV or other digital monitors (Tablets or Phones) for similar lengths of time. 

Digital Schooling during Lockdown

For much younger kids, like my 4 year old daughter, the school opted for #CollaborativeLearning. The school administration has a WhatsApp broadcast group, and they have been using it to send important information. Now with the lockdown enforced, they decided to use it inform parents about how the school will continue to keep kids and parents involved and engaged, and has been sending some activities daily. Parents are encouraged to send pictures after the kids complete the activity. 

While these are not long term solutions, and cannot replace classroom learning and/or human interaction, these are great steps forward. It will mean that Teachers and administrators have to breach the digital barrier faster and adopt technology in a way that was not prevalent before. With the digital classroom, teachers will have to hone new skillsets - namely, better presentation and communication/ articulation skills. It is indeed a challenge for some, as they have to prepare the content much in advance. Indeed, it will further strain the internet bandwidth. Indeed there are very limited resources available at our disposal right now (e.g. lack of Printers, or craft paper or geographical map of India) and they may not be available for some more time. 

However, one cannot dispute the swiftness of action by schools, appreciate what they are trying to do in these unusual and turbulent circumstances, and encourage the adoption of digital means to further education. This is what we can call #SchoolFromHome (SFH) - just like WFH. This will provide a lot of confidence to try out such innovative ways in the times to come. A lot of other activities have moved online, and really the pace of digital transformation has gone up, thanks to #COVID19. Indeed, every cloud has a silver lining!

Christmas of 2018 - A trip to Kakinada!

For Xmas 2018, we planned to visit our cousins in Kakinada. Kakinada is a coastal town right by the sea. It was a 4 day trip, and my first to Kakinada. Ideally, had it not been to visit my cousins, this could easily have been a 2 day weekend trip. We left by train (Cocanada Express) from Hyderabad, and reached Kakinada in the morning. As stay was at our cousin's place, we did not incur stay cost. Having said that, there are plenty of good stay options in/ around Kakinada.

Places to see, and things to do in/ around Kakinada (directions link):

There are lot of places worth seeing in and around Kakinada

Kakinada is a port town - it is one of the smart cities in Andhra Pradesh. Visit the beaches (albeit the beaches have black sand and not the cleanest). Go to the recently built Beach Park for some attractions. Eat the Madatha Kaja and Gottam Kaja (must try), and try the unending veg thali at iconic Subbayya gari hotel (go to the original and oldest branch) while here.

Uppada village which is 30 kms from Kakinada is famous for it's silk sarees, and the drive to the village is beautiful. You can visit some of the handloom weavers, see how they weave the sarees and also buy directly from them instead of paying a higher showroom prices in the city.

Yanam, a small town, and surprisingly (to me), part of the Union Territory of Pondicherry - this is where river Godavari merges in to the Bay of Bengal close to the coast of Yanam.

Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary: 18 kms from Kakinada - famous for the largest mangrove in the country, and for the migratory birds that come here in winter.

Day 1 & 2:

While we spent relaxing and catching up on Day 1, on Day 2, we went to Yanam, a small village. Godavari merges in to the sea close to the Yanam coast. There is a huge Shiva linga on the banks of Godavari, and the docking area next to it. We all went on a boat ride on the Govadari river to an island where finally the river merges in to the sea. We put on life jackets as the ride was bumpy. We had to carry water, snacks and lunch as this is a remote island with no people or amenities. This island is not even on the map, and has no phone signal.

After about 2 hours, and a 40 kms boat ride in to the sea, we reached a small unknown island. There was no one on the island except us. The boatman told us that here, the Godavari river met the Bay of Bengal sea. There was water everywhere! We played in the sand. Due to how isolated this place is, we came back to Yanam before dark, and returned home.

This unknown island is not even there on the map - pristine beaches, clear water, and not crowded at all!

Day 3:

We all went to Annavaram in the morning. It is 60 kms from Kakinada, and has a very famous temple on the hill dedicated to Sri Satyanarayana Swamy. This was a half-day trip and we came back to Kakinada by lunch time. We had meals at the iconic Subbayya Gari Hotel (which now has branches in Hyderabad too). It's a small location, but the friendly service, the tradition, the scale of cooking, the utensils they use, and overall hospitality left a lasting memory.

In the early hours of the evening, we drove to Uppada and helped the ladies shop sarees. The road to Uppada village is right by the sea, and the drive is beautiful. One can see and hear the waves splashing against the rocks along the way. Several movies have shot some sequences along this coastal road.

Uppada is a short 30 mins drive from Kakinada

Day 4:

The next day was Christmas. That was the last day we stayed in Kakinada. We spent time at home, exchanging some gifts and playing with one another. We bought Kakinada Kajas (famous sweets). We took the train that evening and reached home the day after Christmas. I did not want the vacation to end. It was a memorable trip. I just can’t wait for the next such trip!

Though I was looking forward to, we could not visit Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary as there was not enough momentum within the family. I will be back again some day and try to spot the fishing cat, and to click some of the migratory birds that come there.

Reference articles that helped us plan our trip (thanks to some of the Tripoto community members too):

• https://www.tripoto.com/trip/on-the-trail-of-the-elusive-fishing-cat-5b5d8dee1a905
• https://www.tripoto.com/trip/a-day-in-kakinada-57d778219457c
• https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g1584832-d5787981-Reviews-Coringa_Wildlife_Sanctuary-Kakinada_East_Godavari_District_Andhra_Pradesh.html
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/2-day-bird-festival-in-coringa/articleshow/67019927.cms

3 day road trip to Yaganti - Belum Caves - Gandikota - Ahobilam - Mahanandi - Alampur

With Friday, Nov 1st being a holiday in Karnataka for Kannada Rajyotsava, my wife had a long weekend. I decided to take a day off from work to make it a long weekend, and planned a road trip with family (kids and parents). The thought came to mind while I was speaking to a colleague at work about his hometown (Proddatur). As I looked at the map, I realized that Gandikota (The Grand Canyon equivalent in India) was nearby, and a 2 day weekend trip would be ideal and we would have a day in hand to rest.

Then, as I started researching about other attractions nearby, I learnt about Yaganti, Belum Caves, Gooty fort, Tadipatri, Ahobilam, Mahanandi, Kurnool and Alampur. Each place had so much history, culture, mythology, and religious prominence that it was not to be missed. We realized that to cover all these places, 2 days was not going to be sufficient. Finally, we decided to make it a 3-day road trip, and also cut down the places to visit. There are several blogs from people who have a 2-day itinerary of combinations of these places (Yaganti/ Belum Caves/ Gandikota, or Gandikota/ Ahobilam, or Mahanandi/ Alampur, or Mahanandi/ Ahobilam - and the list goes on).

Directions link

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND:

Because we were traveling with kids and parents, we had to keep in mind the following:

1. Accommodation - these are remote places, and good accommodation is not easily available. So you need to plan slightly in advance. We booked camping tents in Gandikota for the first night, and a hotel in Nandyal for the second night.
2. Travel - Plan/ Book your own travel and know the routes (and nearest cities/ towns). You will be traveling through farm land, villages, and help may not be imminent.Plan with a contingency of 3-4 hrs (unforeseen incidents, traffic, flat tire, kids/ parents wanting a break). We rented a 7-seater vehicle from Avis Rental India. It made the journey comfortable. Roads are amazing - NH40 and Rayalaseema Expressway - both were a pleasure to drive.
3. Food and Water - Carry bottles of water with you (again, because of the remoteness of some of the places). We did not have much space left after packing our luggage. So we took 5 liter cans (easier to handle), and 1-liter bottles from home to refill as and when we needed. There are plenty of food options along the highway, so that is not an issue.
4. Read up about the places you are visiting - one will not be able to appreciate the value unless they know what is the history behind these temples, and their architectures.
5. Enjoy the journey - it's ok if you miss a place or don't stick to schedule. You can always come back another time. We missed seeing Orvakal rock garden and Konda Reddy Fort. But we still have amazing memories of the trip!

Here is how we planned our itinerary for the trip (we planned on our own):

Our ride - Avis Rental Car (comfortable car, good service) - suggested by a friend. Our cost of the trip increased due to this, but if you are taking your own vehicle, the cost will be much lesser. Avis' rental service was quite good, and the car was neat and clean.

Day 1 (Nov 1, 2019)

We started from home around 5.20 am. We stopped on the way to have breakfast at Food Pyramid (140kms from Hyderabad), and the food was really good. We reached Yaganti Temple (Agastya Cave, Pushkarini, Venkateshwara Cave) by 10.30am (temple closes at 11am). It took us almost 2-3 hrs to see all temples and caves and to have lunch.

This little known place is house to the Uma Maheshwara temple and caves where Agastya Maharshi performed his penance for Lord Shiva. The temple architecture is reminiscent of Chalukya style of temples (red sandstone temple). Story goes that when the crows disturbed him, he cursed them not to be seen anywhere. Till this day, there are no crows in this area (but a lot of monkeys are found in the temple vicinity). The temple was originally planned for Lord Venkateswara, but the idea was dropped when the idol had a broken toe nail. Later, the idol of Uma Maheshwara (half Parvati & half Shiva) was found in the premises (rose from the earth), and hence the temple dedicated to Uma Maheshwara. There are three caves (moderately difficult to climb), of which in one of them Agastya maharshi performed his penance.



Due to shortage of time, we could not, but if you can, please visit Katavani Kunta (500,000 years old rock paintings) - paleolithic art (they are 20 mins away from Yaganti temples).

From Yaganti, we went to Belum Caves - largest underground caves in India and spent 1 hr there. Due to recent rains, some part of the cave was waterlogged, and we could not go to the end (1.5 kms long caves).



After the sunset, we freshened up in Haritha resorts and then camped in the camping site for the night (we used "Camping at Gandikota") - AC and non-AC tents are available if booked in advance - totally safe and worth it. APTDC offers tents and cottages too, but after doing our research, we decided to camp with someone else. All food, washrooms are provided by APTDC Haritha Resort (as it is a small village). There are limited options for food with 2 small hotels near the fort.

Our next stop was Gandikota. We reached there (via Jammalamadugu) just around 5.10 pm. Sunset was at 5.47pm, so we were just in time. We watched the sunset from the Gandikota fort steps.


After the sunset, we freshened up in Haritha resorts and then camped in the camping site for the night (we used "Camping at Gandikota") - AC and non-AC tents are available if booked in advance - totally safe and worth it. APTDC offers tents and cottages too, but after doing our research, we decided to camp with someone else. All food, washrooms are provided by APTDC Haritha Resort (as it is a small village). There are limited options for food with 2 small hotels near the fort.

Day 2 (Nov 2, 2019)

We woke up early, and watched the sunrise from the cliff overseeing the Penna river. We got a picture of how, and how many camping tents there were. Weather was pleasant at night, and it started heating up in the day. This place is best visited in the winter months.





We went for a short morning stroll, followed by breakfast, drive through the Gandikota village and saw the local ruins - Jama Masjid, Charminar, Ranganayakula Temple, Mahadevula temple and view point (of Penna river). Gorgeous gorge! The local guide wanted to take us to the waterfall too, but we skipped it as we had to reach Ahobilam before lunch.


We finally left for Ahobilam by 10am (2 hrs drive) & reached upper Ahobilam by 1pm. As it was a Saturday, vehicles had to be parked much before reaching the top. Free service vehicles took us to Upper Ahobilam. It was fun to sit in those share auto style vehicles. We had lunch in one the Brahmana Nitya Anna Daana Satrams, followed by visit to the 4 Narasimha Swamy Temples - it is impossible to cover all 6 of them. They are not easy to reach by foot, and need trekking shoes. We tried to cover as many as possible (till 4 pm) as temples close early in Upper Ahobilam. The temples are nested in the forest, beautifully. Please carry water with you as options to buy/ borrow are less. There are natural water streams, but they are not easily accessible.


After Upper Ahobilam, we drove to Lower Ahobilam and visited the Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple (it is open till 8pm). This temple's architecture was noteworthy, and this temple complex was huge.

As Ahobilam is a small village, we had planned our stay overnight in Nandyal - nearest town with decent hotel facilities. It is 60 kms from Ahobilam. We had dinner in Nandyal (Shankar Vilas Veg Restaurant) and then checked in to the hotel. The hotel rooms were big, but quality of the rooms was deplorable.

Day 3 (Nov 3, 2019)

After breakfast on day 3, we started to Mahanandi Temple by 9.30am. It is a short 15 km/ 30 mins drive from Nandyala. The Mahanandeshwara temple is one of the sacred Navanandi temples in the region. The temple was crowded on a Sunday and we spent more than 1 hr there. One has to remove their shirt if they choose to go inside the garbhagudi. After darshan, we headed to Alampur/ Kurnool.


Along the way, there is Orvakal Rock Garden which is unique, but we were running late and everyone was tiring out. So, we decided to skip and headed straight for Kurnool for a quick lunch.

After lunch, we went to Alampur (40 mins from Kurnool) - to visit the Alampur Jogulamba Temple, 5th of the 18 shakti peethas, and also the Bala Brahma Temple, and Sangameshwar Temple, Tungabhadra river view (slightly further ahead, Krishna & Tunga merge - Kritunga), hence the name "Sangam"eshwar temple.


After visit, we left for Hyderabad and reached around 9.30 pm.

Our trip was memorable, with kids and parents enjoying alike. Overall, we stuck to the above itinerary and were mostly on time (I still cannot believe we did it!). Roads, for most part, were smooth and driving was a pleasure. As this entire route was close to Krishna, Tungabhadra and Penna river belt, there was greenery all around. The skies were blue - as blue as they come.





If you are planning the same trip, then here is a handy checklist of things to carry (hope it helps you):

• Govt ID card
• 2 pairs of clothes (1 spare), 1 night wear
• 1 pair of shoes (for trekking in Gandikota and/ or Ahobilam)
• Toiletry kit - Toothbrush, paste, soap, deo/ perfume, sunscreen, moisturizer, mosquito repellent, lip balm
• Torch (useful in Gandikota at night)
• Umbrellas - despite the onset of winter, it was very hot in each of the places.Camera, batteries, memory card
• Water, snacks, plastic covers for wet/dry waste
• Sunglasses, caps
• Medicines - Pain, fever and any other necessary medication
• Warm wear (depending on the season) - One sweater/ light jacket - this was not needed after all.
• Towel
• Light bedsheet
• Outdoor mat (if going in a large group)Mobile chargers, powerbanks, aux cables - as per your need

Reference Articles that helped us plan:

• Wikipedia links of Gandikota, Ahobilam, Belum Caves, Mahanandi, Alampur
• https://www.tripoto.com/trip/gandikota-grand-canyon-of-india-roadtrip 
• https://gotirupati.com/yaganti-temple/ 
• https://gotirupati.com/alampur-jogulamba-temple/
• https://traveltriangle.com/blog/guide-to-gandikota-fort-grand-canyon-of-india/
• https://www.holidify.com/places/kurnool/yaganti-sightseeing-6239.html
• https://www.trawell.in/andhra/yaganti
• https://www.holidify.com/places/kurnool/belum-caves-sightseeing-2528.html
• https://www.thebetterindia.com/65395/belum-caves-andhra-pradesh/

Yes, I signed up for a half-marathon!

I started running regularly only recently. In the last 12 months, I have been trying to make this a habit, and over the months, I have been able to run more. I had signed up for the Airtel Hyderabad 10K run in August, but unfortunately, I had to travel on work, and could not participate then.

Then, once I was back, work took center stage, I put in long hours at work, and all fitness activity stopped for about 3 months. I started feeling heavy, and when I stood up on the weighing scale, I was embarrassed. I had put on weight and had to start the fitness journey all over again. Then, I made a decision to make fitness, and running, a core habit for life. I started training - slowly, and ran small distances to begin with. And by November end, I was able to run/walk the Hyderabad 10K in about 1 hr 16 mins. I was proud of myself, and it gave me the belief that if I could run a 10K with such little practice, I could run far more consistently, and long distances with regular practice. I was also excited to see so many youngsters, and old folk run that day. It inspired me to run regularly and get better. And so the journey started.

Photos of Hyderabad 10K

And here I am today, I took upon the challenge to run the half-marathon for the very first time. I know I can run the 10K with ease now. So, the half-marathon on Feb 24th, 2019 will be double the distance. But I know I have it in me to achieve it.



Here is what I read for my preparation for the half-marathon. Now it's time to implement it.

https://www.verywellfit.com/13-things-to-know-before-running-a-half-marathon-3862882

I also need to maintain my weight, so intake of the right amount of calories is very important. Along with the above link, I found a very good resource that helped me think about my weight goal:

https://www.verywellfit.com/how-many-calories-to-lose-weight-3495659#start-over

This year, the goal is to be able to run a full marathon by the end of the year. I am sincerely hoping that the dream comes through.

2019 - A fresh start!

It has been a long time since I blogged. I was either busy, lazy or did not want to blog. Whatever it might be, I did not write for a long time. Now, suddenly I felt that I should start blogging again in 2019 so that I keep tab of some of the crazy things that I do, and I started off with this.

New Year's is a time for resolutions. I make my personal goals/ resolutions each year. I have been doing this for my sake for the last 4 years now. And this year is not going to be new. Some of the things will not change from the list as well. But what has helped me most is to bucket these goals into broad categories that almost becomes a lifelong framework. These are generic and applicable to all. You can make lists within each category and track them.

So, here you go - these are my goal categories:

1. Managing Relationships - Family, friends are important to me. I will de-clutter, and focus only on key relationships.

2. Health & Fitness - I have been blessed with good health, but just like a vehicle, regular servicing and maintenance is must. And therefore, I will focus on building fitness as a good habit. I have started running and exercising.

3. Business Leadership - Focus at the work place to be better everyday. Leadership, at all levels, in all tasks - is a must. I will focus on improving my business leadership in all possible ways.

4. Personal Finances - Though my parents educated me quite a bit on this aspect, I only realized a few years ago that focusing and personal finance planning is very important. And very important is to stay on top of the plan. I also sensed that many of my team members did not have a set plan for them. So, I started educating them as well.

5. Reading & Learning - This should be an ongoing exercise/ goal for every individual all along their lives.

6. Time for passion - Singing/ Music and Traveling is my passion. I will learn classical singing (I have been doing in bits earlier and want to make it consistent). Also, I will make a conscious effort to travel to places on my bucket list, and some offbeat gems.

When I shared this so called framework with some of my work colleagues, they could relate very easily and found it extremely useful. We all have it at the back of our mind, but just don't say it out loud. But I have found it helps when we write these down, or see it in front of our eyes. At least that's what works for me.

Wish you all a very Happy New Year! May all your goals and dreams come true!

10th Wedding Anniversary - Part 2 - Washington D.C.

As part of our 10th wedding anniversary celebrations, we planned a trip to Washington D.C. and New York. I covered the experience of New York in part 1 of the blog. This is Part 2 - where I will briefly summarize the Washington D.C. trip.

After a busy tour of New York. we took the Amtrak to Baltimore (that's where our cousins live). We rested at night at our cousin's place in Ellicott City. The next morning, we drove to Washington DC

Route map