VIZAG matters - Sohan Hatangadi's Blog

28 March 2012 What tourism experience means to me Someone asked me what tourism meant to me. “If you were coming to Vizag on a short vacation how would you like to experience Vizag?” I have been an ardent tourist most of my life, always mixing a little sightseeing even when I travelled on business. Having travelled in India and abroad extensively, I tried to visualize what a good tourism experience would be for me. I took the best experiences of several destinations and put them all together as a sort of wish list. Here is how I imagined a good tourism experience at Vizag. I have several friends in Vizag and decide to take a weekend break there with my wife. We fly into Vizag; walk through a good air-conditioned aerobridge into a modern airport. The toilets are clean and for once in the gent’s toilet the urinal is at the right height, the sink tap works and there are enough paper towels napkins on the basin counter. Our luggage comes quickly, we load them into a smoo...

  Carl Sagan   QUOTES BY CARL SAGAN Carl Sagan died in Dec 1996. When in Chennai (then Madras),  during the 80's, I used to watch his TV programs on my 14" B&W TV. Freaked out then and still do. A great thinker  and someone who worked tirelessly to spread a scientific temperament. I found these quotes on the net and wish to share them with my friends. A celibate clerg y is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism.   All of the books in the world contain no more information than is broadcast as video in a single large American city in a single year. Not all bits have equal value.   But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus , they laughed at Fulton , they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.   For me, it is far better to grasp the U...

First please read the article in The Hindu with headline: " Anrak in talks with Glencore to source bauxite ore?"  at the following link. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/article2760124.ece If APMDC mines Jerrala and supply Bauxite to Anrak here is what we can expect. TRANSPORTATION NIGHTMARE The ANRAK website has this sentence at the end of it:  "A newly laid road is envisaged which will be traveling for 15 km in forest land starting from Jerrela village to the state highway near Pederu. From there it is connected to NH5 for onward movement to the proposed plant location." I could not figure out how they will reach Makavaripalem from Chintapalle via Paderu and NH5. This is like going to Delhi from Mumbai via Chennai. Instead, it is obvious that they will come down via Lambasinghi and take a left before  Narasipatnam. I understand that they have already started making a road diagonally from a few kms before ...

First I urge you to read this brave article. It is poignant and powerful. If you love Vizag please pass it on http://www.thehindu.com/ todays-paper/tp-features/tp- metroplus/article2640606.ece? mid=53185 My take: For those of us who schooled and grew up in Vizag the news that the  port  wants to  expand Northward  is a  horror movie  still unfolding.  Only problem is that this is not just a scary yarn, we are not going for a popcorn break - its a chilling possibility - and if Vizag's gentle population are silent - a  certainty . The  "One Town"  or  "Soldierpeta"  area was where Vizag's  heart was. The  Jalaris  along with the local community defined  quintessential Vizag .  A fishing net drawn in from the beach by a dozen fishermen would bring in  half a ton of sparkling catch . Then the  Iron Ore arrived,  crossing over the area on Japanese funded, c...

My Vizag’s Beach View from our beach home balcony in 1960.  Then an outer harbor Iron Ore jetty came up on the beach. A large wall blocked off the beach for the residents. Half a century ago, as a child I lived in an old stone building by the sea. So close in fact that, in stormy weather, the crashing waves sent a salty spray into our home. Ah the smell of the sea! The constant crashing of the waves! So subliminally deep was it driven into my psyche that, even when I went inland on vacation, I could still smell and hear it. On these sparkling waves and golden beaches we first learn to swim. All through summer vacation the neighbourhood boys frolicked among the waves. At dusk, we came home reluctantly, only when we were exhausted or when mom came looking for us, threatening dire consequences if we did not drag our salty black bodies back home. Here, I cast my catgut line with a bottle cork for a float and steel nut for weight, and caught my first sna...

Click on this link to see what came in the press:   WE WILL BE LIKE LIKE MUMBAI HE SAID : Our youthful collector also said that Vizag will become like  Mumbai  in 10 Years. All Vizagites must be jumping up and down with joy to hear such good news! Wow - imagine 2022 - Bomb blasts, local trains, slums, Bollywood, bar brawls, smog, and malls and gangsters, single bedroom apartments for Rs. 2 Crores and a really cool 35% voter turnout! Vizag wont be the quiet peaceful BORING place any more.  I wonder who gave our collector the impression that we want Vizag to be like Mumbai - if we find that adviser we must really thank him properly WE WILL BE A TOURIST DESTINATION WE MUST HAVE A TOURISM FAIR THEY SAID Tourism for Vizag   “This city is so beautiful” the wise men said "The news of its charms, we must spread" The IAS boss of the town announced “someday… Vizag will be just like Mumbai” We must get the crowds here the...

Train Travel – tips on time pass during long train journeys Sohan Hatangadi March 2009 Now with the worldwide economy going poof everyone is cutting down on air travel. More and more folk who could afford to fly, whether on company work or on personal trips, now find that they have to take the good old “chuk chuk gadi”. The best train trips are when you take a night train and are at your destination in the morning. You get a good night’s sleep and you save on hotel stay. But longer trips that involve not only night but also day time travel can become quite a bore. It gets worse when all the passengers sit ignoring each other, talking endlessly on their mobile phones, or staring at a book, or simply sleeping all the time. So what can we do about it? Here are some suggestions to make your travel interesting and a great “time pass”. Making friends Trains are a great place to make friends, especially if you are travelling by day. So as soon as you take your seat or berth put on your friend...

--> "Erra matti dibbalu” Red Sand Dunes, Bhimunipatnam Tourism - at what cost? Sohan Hatangadi Date: March 13, 2009 There have been reports that Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) plans to put up a tourist facilit y at "Erra matti dibbalu" (“Red Sand Hills”) near Bhimunipatnam. The reports have caused concern among certain sections of the public as well as those from the scientific community. This site is the last remaining area having the unique red sand dune formations which are such a rarity. It is felt that establishing a tourism facility there will deeply impact the pristine nature of the area and seal the fate of this fragile ecological wonder. Where are the "Erra matti dibbalu “and what is unique about them? On the Bay of Bengal coast, to the south of the Bhimunipatnam ridge, is an area comprising deeply gullied red sand dunes of around 4 km length and 2 km width. It is bounded by streams “Chittigadda” in...