25.9.08

cinqueterre

Someday I heard them planning..
"this weekend Cinque Terre jaana hai.."
I didn't get this word in the beginning. it's pronounced as "Cheen-qwey-te-RRe" Where Cinque is 5 in Italian and Terre is land.. so it means five types of lands or something..
any way.. when googled for images on the net.. we got an idea that it's just an amaazing place to be..

The plan was to be there at the Centrale station so early that we won't miss the train at 7.15 am. We're the people who reach at 10.15 for the 9:45 class.. i don't know how did we manage...

We.. the most important part... this was the most chaotic trip we ever had... nothing went the way we planned.. as plans started topling over at every moment of the trip.. right till the end.

Murphy's law was proved true... everytime..

Anyway.. it was around 11 of us when we started the trip.. and the idea was " First cinqueterre, and everything else as we decide on the way.

As I told you.. this was a trip with lot of gadbads... gadbad hi gadbad tha..!

Only few turned up for the trip on time that includes Me, Manoj and manish who just made it just two minutes before the trip... but still.. we waited and waited for others..
We even talked to the TC, and made the train wait for 5 minutes (Imagine.. this is europe.. still hamara chindi gir
i....) leave it.. somehow they managed to get in.. and we started our journey..



But wait!!.. where's manoj and manish?????
Well.. the fact is .. even if there were no time left for anything... they decided to get out to punch the tickets!!. and the train left!!..

Well.. sounds kind of a hindi film plot... anyway.. they had to catch another train from Milano to genova and get into another train from there...



Meanwhile, we were on the way to Montessoro...
We got a call from Manish that we are supposed to get down at a place called Sesto Lavante so that we can meet there and continue the journey..

But bad luck (or good luck?) strikes again.. and we saw the name plate "Lavagna" we mistook it for "Levante".. and got down



But whoa!! that was one of the most beautiful places i've ever seen!!







Well.. anyway.. we were not so lost.. got to know from the charts that there's another train within one hour.. so we waited...

And Voila!!!... when the train came.. Coincidently!!!. Manoj and manish were already there in the train!!

A few more minutes.. we wer in the real Levanto..



Monterosso... one of the main stops of Cinque Terre.. was our first destination and we reached there in a few minutes journey..



Whoo.. that was susch a lovely beach... that manoj couldn't wait..
when others were arranging for a place to stay he was already in.. enjoying the see...



Some more fun time and photoshoot there...






We couldn't manage to get an accomodation in Monterosso.. so we decided to try our luck in another place called Rio Maggiore!

Thanx to Samir.. who was still cooking in the kitchen when we were leaving...
We had something to eat when it was really really needed :) he he...





Rio maggiore was a small town with narrow streets and small houses..
we walked a lot trying to find a place to stay.. but everything turned out to be really expensive..



One option left was to do camping somewhere in Levanto .. a place a little far from cinque terre.. but one night in a camp is going to be really a good experience. that too for 13euros per person.. we didn't hesitate..



There wer almost half an hour left before our first train to levanto... so we decided to explore the place in Maggiore itself...













After sometime.. we got a train to Levanto.. but there was a little change in the plan..
Some of us wanted to see the Leaning tower of Pisa too... although most of us went away with the plan of enjoying once place before moving to the other..

Eight of us stayed back when the other three went to Pisa..

Our camping site was in Levanto.. San Michele..



We met this guy in yellow Tshirt at the station, the owner of this camping site..
Got a free ride from the station to this hill side in two cars... and we were ready for camping.



Nadia, of camping site gave us tents and sleeping bags.. and we were all set to set up our stay for the night..



The San Michelle camping team...


This is the beautiful camping site where we stayed that night..


A little bit of cofusion in the start, but by night fall... we manged to get all the tents ready..










Watch how we managed to get it ready here...



Well.. everything was ready... but not food!
At night, Me, Manoj, Samir, Sukirti and Sonal went out to find a place to get something to eat..

It was a long walk down the hill in search of a hotel or somthing but we couldn't find any..
It was totally dark.. and we were extremely cautious not to get run-over by any car or trucks..

It still feels fishy... still don't know what the hell they were doing at that hour of the day...
we found one middle aged couple, transferring things in a hurry from their car-seats, to the bootspace..

Well.. whatever, they were so keen to give us lift downhill.. all the way till the Pizza Place.

Whatever it may be.. we managed to get some food for the night..



Don't think that we had food here.. we're just waiting for the pizza to be prepared..


Coz it's not like the Dominoz Pizza that we get..
this is oven-fresh!.. hot steamy Pizzaaa.....


We walked all the way back again.... climbing all the way up.. with the hot Pizza in my hand.. in some way, that was nice.. it was damn chilling.

Everyone got together at the camping place and some 'whurer'.. our dinner was great.


Nadia, had told us to be quiet in the tents... coz there were other people also camped in the vicinity...

Bleh!.. who cares!... we all got into one tent and started masti..
Yea.. eight of us in a single tent... utter chaos!!

And finally.. she had to come and ask us to shut up.. he he :)

-----------
A good night's sleep in a tent.. whoo.. that was an amazingly great.. and completely different experience ever...

you know what .. it rained too in the night... but it was nice inside the tent.. in sleeping bags.

We woke up eaaaarlyyy in the morning.. around 8o clock...





Watch the waking videos here..

You know what.. These people are crazy!! they don't even have a tap in the toilet!!
I just don't understand how the hell they manage with the paper!!

Anyway.. we had some whurer bottles from yesterday for help.



Acche bacche... subeh subeh jaake chai piye!!


I still don't know how will i write about the chaos at the end..

We were supposed to pack all the tents back into its covers.. with all the accessories..
As you know already.. we mixed up everything... literally... that the camp guy went mad..
some how.. we managed to get out... since we had all the stuff ready ..

As usual.. a final pic at the camping site..


On the way back we could even witness a nice marriage with the just married vintage car and all..


Well. ...now it's time for us to get intimate with the Monterosso beach that we saw yesterday..

That's us playing volley ball on the beach.. ;P


As usual, very less beach pics since all of us were in...
Anyway.. we were not so kanjoos outside...
here are the other pics...




Since we had enough time left.. we started walking through monterosso..
And yea.. as you can see... breathtaking beauty!!










Again.. one more photo session before leaving..






but as you know... anything started in someway.. should end in that way.. eh??

We were lost on our way back too...
We were supposed to get down at some other station and catch another train to Milano...
instead... we were still inside the train that we got in from monterosso... sleeping nicely!!

Luckily.. this TC.. such a nice guy.. guided us where to get down .. and which train to take back to Milano....


Anyway.. SOMEHOW.. we managed to get back to our rooms :)
Thank god!

8 comments:

parththefirst said...

That's one helluva experience dude!

I am so jealous!!...:P

Laughed my ass off over the discussion if the thing was tent or a sleeping bag!

Enjoy more and keep writing man..

P.S. : Your pic at Monterosso..in the series of 3 [Manoj, Manish n you] looks so posed.

Unknown said...

great going dudes. you are doing dhamaka in Italy too.

Aatish Patel said...

Hey Bijju the best thing I liked about ur blog is its name...... any way Gr8 goin frds keep it up ...... and keep writing...

new girl in city said...

hi nish....
kewl man....really enjoyed watcin the videos....
i mean the story really felt filmy...but was hillarious...lol
Keep postin :)

harshvardhan kadam said...

looovely!!!!

u guys hvin helova time

architect abdul jabar said...

ALIYA... ADICHU POLICHU ALLE?

Unknown said...

hey manish lovely snaps n videos toooooooooooooo u r having a grt grt time! u always wanted toooo!!! feels gud!! wel enough of making us jealous now ...start missing us ..hmm njoy yaaar n take care bye

Tanu said...

I wish I went for this trip...