Yelläks /ˈyæl•eks/

A nice cycle tour from Bangalore to T.G. Halli. We went on Magadi Road which was very bad with heavy traffic in the beginning. However once we crossed the toll road, the quality of the road increased and the traffic decreased significantly. Between T.G. Halli and Manchanabele Reservoir is a trail next to a river. The trail can be quite narrow and at one point in time the cycles need to be carried for about 20m over loose rocks. Otherwise it is manageable, but not recommended for road bikes. Carrying puncture kits or spare tubes is also a good idea.

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From Manchanabele Reservoir we went to the Big Banyan Tree. After having lunch at a hotel near the Tree we continued to cycle back to Bangalore by using side roads through the villages to avoid the heavy traffic and pollution of Mysore Road (SH-17). The roads through the villages are excellent most of the times. For long stretches the pavement got renewed. If not, then it was not as bad as the trail between T.G. Halli and Manchanabele Reservoir.

Distance of the tour: 85km

GPX files

• Bangalore-TGHalli-Manchanabene-BigBanyanTree

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From Bangalore there are basically 2 routes to reach Nandi Hills which are something like 55km each: from Bangalore to Hebbal from there on NH7 and SH104 to Nandi Hills or from Bangalore to Yelahanka and from there on Doddaballapur Road and SH74 to Nandi Hills. However while the traffic density on the State Highways (SH) is fairly less, it is much worse on NH7 and the Doddaballapur Road which makes the ride not a pleasant one. So one day an expedition started to find another route trying to avoid the heavily used highways.

To shorten the time to find a new way, we used a bike. The found route is not recommended for road cycles at all. Taking along a puncture kit, reserve tube, air pump etc. is a must.

A short description

We went from NH7 to MVIT educational college (north of Yelahanka airfield). There we turned right to the north to go straight to Nandi Hills. The road was awesome. Twice as wide as IISc roads with excellent pavement. But after the Stonehill International School the road degraded rapidly. It became narrow and many parts of the pavement were missing. After a while the road became invisible and was only a path or better trail through the woods (photos are included below). Although this road is marked like a yellow highway in Google Maps, it is hardly visible and 30cm wide. After a while the path ended in a mine (some blueish stone is mined), but we continued anyway through the mine. The problem is that you cannot see, where the people went previously, so sometimes you have to give it a good guessing to continue. Anyhow after mastering this, we came out at a small village close to the Hills.

On the way back, we tried another route. It was very smooth. First 30km nicely paved, but then a little bit “under-developed”. So typical village roads with LOTS of speed breakers. I think, we went over a hundred or so in total. Then we came out on NH7 and went south a bit to cover some distance. We went back to MVIT college and turned right at the crossing at which we turned left in the morning.

Nice road, till you come to that part, where you have to turn right again near the Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, but the Kenchanahalli Road has been swallowed by some huge construction, so it does not exist anymore. So we found a trail through the fields. On the satellite images you can recognize many trails (and some round shaped markings) and on one of them we went. I am really curious what that was a long time ago. The square in the center is formed by ruins of small houses. After some trail and error, we found a residential area whose roads led to Doddaballapur Road.

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It was a really nice trip. Especially the trails. We went through them with the opinion: If Google shows a road there, there must be a road. If it says, turn right, we do that no matter how the road looks like.

The whole tour would have been manageable with a BSA Photon Ex, but an MTB is actually recommended (at least partly). Since there were many shrubs with thorns (you can have a look at my legs, when we “biked” through them with force), there was a high chance to get a puncture. And the next repair shop is very VERY far. Attached to the post you can find a map showing the route from OpenStreetMaps. I included the trails into the maps which makes it more accurate (apart from the free license) compared to competitors. The blue track marks the route we went to the Nandi Hills, the red one our way back.

GPX files

• 20100417-061816_NewRouteToNandiHillsCleaned (blue track)
• 20100417-113413_NewRouteFromNandiHillsCleaned (red track)

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My international driving license which was also valid in India, expired. To get a new driving license which would be valid for another 3 years, I would have to go to Germany and pay something like Rs.1500. Usually I would not mind not to have one, but due to insurance purposes a driving license is necessary, otherwise the insurance company will not pay anything in case of an accident. So I went to the R.T.O. in Yeshwantpur (Bangalore) and with the help of an agent, who stood for me in the queue, I got a learner’s license first. However there are a few obstacles in the way. For instance I needed to pass the written test. To prepare myself for the test, the agent gave me a few paper sheets. On these 4 pages most of the traffic rules including signs were summarized. He told me to learn the signs and after around 10 minutes he dragged me into the room in which the test was conducted.

Out of 15 points that were reachable, 10 were necessary to pass the test. When I saw the question paper, a strange sensation went down my spine. Out of 15 question only 5 were about signs. Other questions were something about the maximum allowance of particles in the exhaust of diesel engines to pass the environmental tests. That section I never read, since it is in Kannada (the local language in Karnataka) and so far I did not learn it and I took (correctly) the golden middle of the three possible answers.
A poor fellow sitting next to me, struggled in the same way. So we exchanged the sheets, since the examiners were busy giving new incoming people the sheets or to correct the turned in answer sheets. To my best knowledge I filled out his gaps and he did the same with my sheet. Then he returned my sheet, took his and went to turn it in. He got 6 points and hence failed the exam. After hearing this, I went through the gaps that I had previously, and corrected them according to my opinion. I got 13 points

In case you want to see some signs, I put some of them into the gallery below, but I removed their meanings. So feel free to leave a comment in which you guess the meanings of the signs.

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Here is another question taken from the exam:

If you want to turn left, what do you do?

1. Stretch out the right arm and rotate it clockwise.
2. Stretch out the right arm and rotate it anticlockwise.
3. Stretch out the right arm and waive it forward and backward.

Any suggestions? Unfortunately the most obvious answer was not available: Use the indicator on the left side.

30 days after I received the learner’s license, I was eligible to get the real driving license. So I went to the R.T.O. again and faced 2 options:

1. Either I go back to the institute to get my bike while the agent organizes a car. With the examiner together we go to the test ground where all my knowledge about hand signs is checked. After that I can apply for the driving license.
2. I pay Rs.1000 bribe and can apply for the driving license directly.

What I did is up to your imagination.

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Arrival by train/bus

If you arrive at the Bangalore Central Train station (SBC) or by bus at the City Bus Stand (this area is also called Majestic), go to the local bus stand. Take a bus to Malleshwaram or Yeshwantpur. Ask the driver or conductor for TATA Institute. IISc is not commonly known. Hop off the bus near the main gate. The standard rate for the bus would be Rs.7/- per head. If you want to take a auto, the rate is usually around Rs.60/-.
If you arrive at Yeshwantpur train station (YPR) take an auto. Usually the drivers charge very high rates. A normal rate would be between Rs.15/- and Rs.20/-. It is less than 2km to IISc and also walkable. Please refer to the map below.

If you require transportation from one of the train station mentioned above to IISc, do not forget to send your train details (the date you are arriving, the train you are boarding and its arrival timing) to . It would be helpful, if you also mention your phone number (ensure some balance in case you come from a different state) and carry a list of important phone number along with you in case you get lost. Please note that senior students are there to help and pick you up, not to carry your luggage. I strongly recommend to travel lightly, since usual things like mattresses, buckets, etc. can be bought directly on campus. Every year I have seen at least some people carrying half a library with them and additionally a computer including a 17 inches CRT monitor. This also causes discomfort to others, since the space in the bus bringing you to IISc, is not infinite and everybody else has also luggage. So, whatever you cannot carry by yourself, leave it at home and pick it up later.

Accommodation

Some lodges, hostels and hotels ranging from around Rs.350/- (lodge, single room) and Rs.4500/- (luxury 3 star hotel), are located around IISc. Please have a look at the map below to find more information. All accommodations are within a walkable distance to and from IISc. Please be advised that IISc does not provide accommodation for your parents in case they accompany you. You have to take a room outside for them. There is a chance that the same applies also to you in case you decide to arrive earlier.

Some details about the residencies:

• iReal Residency Lodge
  • 29/2, 4th Main Road, near Ramaiah College Bus Stop, Mathikere
  • Phone Number: 08041275500
  • Prices: Double room Rs.450, Single room Rs.350, extra person: Rs.100 (all prices excluding tax)
• Krishinton Suites (3 star hotel with restaurant on the roof)
  • MS Ramaiah Main Road opposite of D-Gate [where all the new departments are constructed])
  • Phone Number: 08042595959
  • Prices: 3 different price categories ranging from Rs.3000 to Rs.4500 depending on the luxury and comfort (excluding tax).

Map

Red markers point out important locations. Blue ones depict the locations of accommodations nearby. Please click on the markers to see additional information.

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There are a few pigeons flying around the hostel. Usually I would not bother, but it seems, they like to take a shit just above freshly laundered clothes hanging on the balcony to dry. So by the end of the day you can do the whole batch of laundry again. What to do against these flying rats? Scaring them off by making some banging sound has a good effect for the next 10 minutes. After they return happily resuming their activities.

Finally I found a solution: I got a new friend, helping me to keep pigeons away.

Since my friend is busy hunting all day, there is no time to stay on my balcony throughout the whole time. Hence a more permanent solution was required. Another trick to keep any bird away from the balcony is putting the silhouette of a bird of prey on the balcony door. For birds it does not matter, if the outline of the bird of prey is in the sky or attached to a balcony door. They stay away from the live threatening danger. A nice source of outlines is available on the Mr. Welz’ web pages. Download the file, choose an outline and print it out. In my case, I enlarged the sparrow hawk to fit on a DIN A3 sheet, printed it and put it on my balcony door (from the outside obviously). Since then I am almost 100% pigeon free.

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This post should be a warning to everybody. It happened to myself, but also to a friend of mine just a few days ago. I do not know any other incidences, but it seems, there is a system behind it.

What happened? Long story short:
Someone called me by phone telling me that parcels have arrived and he would like to get them delivered. So I went to the hostel gate and he waited there for me. He explained that parcels have arrived for my address (he knew my exact address of the hostel), but there are some formalities regarding customs. I had to pay duty and that was the reason, why the parcels were currently in the office in Malleshwaram. However he came by to get the services and duties done for me for some little extra fee. Then he tried to call his boss to discuss the matter further from my phone. So I had his boss’ phone number. However the number was busy all the time and he could not get through. In the end he convinced me that he will proceed to his office, get the formalities done and will come back with the parcels. I paid him Rs.500 (that was the amount, I had with me) and he left.

I mean, he really left and never came back. I tried to call his boss’ number several times, but after the third day the number got disconnected. Maybe I am too stupid since I always believe in the good part of humans first. Many people can point the finger at me and telling me that could never ever happen to them. However I admit, he had a really easy game, since I was expecting parcels from Germany and thought that they arrived finally. The concerned parcels came something like 2 months after this incident and they have their own story.

A similar event happened to a friend of mine just a few days back. He came to her room personally at 7am on a Sunday morning. With the same trick (duties, parcels currently in office, etc) he managed to lure around Rs.700 from her. The security of IISc is quite powerless and weak. Any visitor has to sign into a register. However, if you are a delivery boy, you may pass unchecked and undisturbed. I mean, a little bit common sense: Who delivers a parcel that early on a Sunday morning?

The money is gone. However we hope that this post reaches some people and to prevent them to loose their money too.

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