Self Drive Car Rental from Bangalore

With a camping trip and a long drive in plans ahead, it was time to check out the self-drive options available in Bangalore. Unlike the USA, where renting out a car is a breeze, the market for self-rentals is not mature in India. This is partly due to the wide availability of car rentals with drivers. That comes with compromise to privacy and also feels like adding on a person to your family vacation.

With positive reviews at forums such as TeamBHP, I choose www.drivecarclub.com and www.autoriders.net as my options. The choice of vehicle was either a minivan or a SUV. Both their websites had all the information pertaining to the rental process. On enquiry, Carclub had a prompt response saying that they didn't have vehicles in the requested category but that they would offer a Chevy Optra. Autoriders were prompt in their replies too and they offered a Mahindra Xylo. We confirmed with them and requested that the car be dropped and picked up from our home, for an extra charge. (Rs. 350 each way).
   
On the day of the delivery, we were to give the deposit of Rs.25,000 (it varied vehicle category wise) in cash and also pay for the rental in advance. We had requested the vehicle be delivered at 9 am and the vehicle arrived at 9:45 am. The paperwork didn't consume much time and we were given a copy of all documents pertaining to the car.

Self drive rental cars have a Black License Plate with Yellow letter and thus they stand out. Upon crossing the Karnataka state border to the state of Tamilnadu, we had to halt at the RTO office just before Hosur. Lots of parked trucks parked on the side of the highway is the cue to the RTO office. It look us half an hour to wait and pay the road taxes(Rs.350) to the state of Tamilnadu, which had a validity of one week. At the end of our trip, we paid for the extra charges that we had incurred and our deposit was returned back in cash.

Renting a self-drive car from Autoriders from their Bangalore office was sure a straight forward process and their staff pleasant to deal with. My wish is for self-drive rental car agencies at major train stations..With help from GPS and Google Maps and the patience to brave the chaos of Indian road, trains and self-driven cars would be a wonderful way to see the real India at one's own pace..

Camping in Kodai Hills with 360 Inn

            With a wedding to attend in the ever hot Madurai in the middle of May, we set our thoughts on taking a short break in the cool hills of Kodaikanal. But the thought about the throngs of like-minded people that would end at Kodai town in summer wanted us to seek some other quiet place where we could enjoy nature and also the cooler hills. Some persistent googling lead us to www.360inn.com, which promised to offer customized off beat vacations around Kodaikanal. Couldn't find any reviews from families who had used their services but decided to give it a try. Shyam, who offers the service, was prompt in his e-mail replies answering my queries. We had just one day to spare and decided to camp at Kodai hills with 360 Inn.

            Since the drive from Bangalore was going to take us around 9 hours one-way, we decided to take a break at Dindukal. Stayed at Parson's Court, which was a good find in Dindugal.

            The final drive to the campground is on a steep tarred road where just one car can possibly fit in. Shyam received us and helped us settle in. The campground is on a 3 acre hilly plot, around 5 kilometers from Kodai town, with a bird's eye view of Palani, Perumalmalai, Vilpatty village and a waterfall. One needs to walk, around 300 feet down hill with a considerable slope, to reach the tents. It is better to settle in when there is enough daylight, even though the hills could be completely engulfed in fog anytime. The sight of the tents far away from the nearest road was beautiful to behold.

            For those who wonder that it could be lonely and scary, there is hope. A family of farmers lives in the plot and they provide with all possible assistance that they can. They helped carry some of our bags down and uphill, provided us warm drinking water with the meals, hot teas when it was foggy and raining and also got the fresh food that Shyam arranges down to the campsite.

           

            The campground was equipped with rustic pit toilets and a bath cubicle. It serves its purpose well but isn't for those who are not ready to rough it out. There is no electricity and we were provided with two, three-person Coleman, tents.

           

            After lunch, we took a short walk amidst the nearby orchards and enjoyed plums off the trees. Though we didn't have time to do long hikes during our stay, there are plenty of options. The campfire after dinner was cozy and kept us warm till it was time to get into our sleeping bags. The farmer's two dogs, both named Blacky, were a solace against snakes or bison that I imagined might wander closer. The night was beautiful with clear skies, twinkling stars, and lights from far away villages dotted the mountains around.

            The kids had the most fun and it felt very good to camp again. I wish more camping sites evolve in India…..not the Swiss tent camping stays that offer attached flush toilets but the ones like this one that takes us back to nature.

Refrigerator Buying Guide

Are you in the market to buy a Refrigerator? Have this as a checklist.

1. Brand - Do a brand research considering the reliability and ease of customer service they offers. Each brand has its set of frilly features to grab attention.

2. Size - Fridge size is measured in liters or cubic feet. They vary in sizes from around 200 liters to well above 600 liters.

·         Small - 180 to 300 Liters for a 2 people household

·         Medium - 300 to 450 Liters for a 4 people household

·         Large - 450 + liters for more than a 5 people households. While larger refrigerators can store more food, they typically cost more and use more energy to run. 

Consider the individual sizes of the freezer and the fridge if you plan on buying a 2 or a multi door refrigerator. Two refrigerators of the same size can have varying fridge and freezer. If you don't plan on consuming frozen food, buying a refrigerator with a larger fridge space.  

3. Number of doors - They come from Single door units to units multiple door and drawers. Each refrigerator style has its positives and negatives to consider.
1. Single Door - These are mostly the Small sized refrigerators and have a smaller freezer space.
2. Two Doors –
1. Freezer on Top - This is the most preferred style as it generally the most affordable option. It is also less prone to repairs and most energy efficient of the many door options. But if your diet includes more vegetables, this option leaves you to be bending down to reach frequently to your most used vegetable section.       
2. Freezer at Bottom - Since we tend to use the refrigerator more often, this option saves you from bending down frequently.
3. Side-by-Side - These models come in larger capacities and have the refrigerator on the right and freezer on the left. This style of refrigerator gives easy access to both the freezer and the refrigerator sections but the width of the refrigerator shelves are narrow making it difficult to store wider items. Some models also offer outside the door ice and cold-water dispensers.
3. Multiple Doors - Multi door refrigerator gives you the option of storing different kinds of food in separate sections.
1. French Door - These models have double doors that open out giving you a refrigerator with larger width area. The lesser-used freezer space is a pull out drawer at the bottom.

4. Frost Control – Options for frost control include
1. Manual Defrosting - One has to switch off the refrigerator manually to defrost. Water collected in trays below the freezer section needs to be emptied manually. Most basic single door models have this option.
2. Automatic Defrosting - Defrosting happens on press of a button or on preset times and the water is collected in trays behind the refrigerator. Single Door models mostly have this option.
3. Frost Free - Most of the multi door refrigerators are frost-free. The freezer remains frost free without any intervention.

5. Shelving 
1. Check if it can fit wide, tall items and has no hard-to-reach areas.
2. For maximum interior space, look for wide; clear glass/acrylic shelves rather than wire. Clear shelves give you more surface area, are easier to clean and retain any spillage from leaking all the way to the bottom.
3. Adjustable Shelving provides greater flexibility as your needs change. Some models feature clear shelves that slide out, making it easier to utilize the whole shelf and put food all the way to the back.
4. Spill-proof shelves have a small gutter to capture spills, stopping any leakages from dripping down to other compartments.
5. Look out for Deep door storage to fit larger beverage bottles.
6. Check size of Vegetable Storage bin to see if it can fit your requirements.
7. A Crisper keeps salads and vegetables at optimum temperature and humidity and separate from other foods.

6. Energy
1. Refrigerator drawers tend to be large on price and small on space. Although they cost little to run, refrigerator drawers provide poor energy efficiency.
2. Consider skipping the ice-maker and dispenser    Automatic ice-makers and through-the-door dispensers increase energy use by 14–20%. They are also responsible for 20% of repairs.
3. Models with top-mounted freezers use 10–25% less energy than bottom-mount or side-by-side models
4. Look for the energy star rating and the power consumption.

7. Stabilizer Requirement - Check the voltage range at which the refrigerator can operate and consider the need to have a stabilizer if the range is too small

8. Operation
1. Look for easy-to-reach and operate temperature and humidity controls. Make sure that you don't have to empty a shelf to adjust them.
2. Check Noise levels. Look for insulation to help dampen the sound of the compressor.
3. A Clean back is easy to maintain. Refrigerator with open condensation coils at the back needs regular cleaning to keep the unit running efficiently.

9. Long Term
1. Warranty - Look for at least a one-year, full warranty, which includes parts and labor.
2. Service    - Make sure that the manufacturer has a Service Center in your city.

10. Important Markings - All refrigerators should have some basic information clearly marked, and should come packed in good packaging. Look for following information:
1. Model name
2. Serial No
3. Manufacturer’s name or trademark
4. Storage volume for refrigerator and freezer
5. Voltage range and supply characteristics
6. Rated current consumption
7. Energy Star Ratings

A visit to VSSC Space Museum near Trivandrum, Kerala

The VSSC Space Museum is located inside the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre campus at Thumba, 12 kilometers north of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. It is less than 5 kilometers from

Kochuveli Railway Station where trains to cities such as Bengaluru start.

The pictures of the museum on its website at http://www.isro.org/scripts/spacemuseum-flash.aspx convinced us that it has better things to offer unlike most other museums. So, we decided to give it a try on our visit to Trivandrum. There were no information available online offering details about visiting the museum such as the visiting hours or the entrance fee or the visiting schedule. So, we just drove in and then started the fun.

Since the museum is inside a secure military campus, we were asked to go to a different military campus near the Veli Railway Station to get passes for entry. Our taxi was not allowed inside the campus and one adult from our party was asked to take a special bus that runs inside the campus to go to a particular office. Once there, one had to convince several officers to prove our intentions as family to visit the museum and also prove our Indian Citizenship. Apparently only Indian Citizens are allowed inside the museum. We did not carry our passports and a credit card came in handy. After much convincing, we were able to get passes for our family. The entry to the museum was free.

After getting the passes for the entry, we were told that all the hassles of getting an entry pass could be avoided if a letter (snail mail) were written to the following address requesting permission to visit the museum ahead of time.

Administrative Officer,

Public Relations,

VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram - 695 022.

Tel : 0471-2565649, 2564292, 2565666

Fax : 0471-2564060

E-mail : pro@vssc.gov.in

The request should contain information like visitor's name, age, affiliation (unclear as to what) and occupation. It seems then a pass would be ready for the day of the visit. The same procedure is to be used to witness a rocket launch.

We then drove back to the museum campus where we were asked to handover our cameras, cell phone and other mobile devices and alas we were at the beautiful St.Mary Magdalene Church that houses the museum. There were a few outdoor exhibits on the impeccably maintained grounds and the striking one was a life size model of a rocket. It was good enough for the kids to see for themselves how tall a rocket really is.

We were asked to remove our shoes and had to handover our passes to the staff in a nearby building before we went in. The staff was chatting casually and didn't seem to expect any visitors. The insides of the museum were well maintained, clean with good air-conditioning. The exhibits were well described and the models of the various Indian satellites elaborated on their historical evolution. Overall the museum explained well India's standing in the field of Space Technology. There were guides inside the museum who were happy to just be chatting among themselves.

Keep an hour to visit the museum and entry is allowed from 9:30 hours to 15:30 hours on all VSSC working days. 

I wonder why such a beautiful, well-staffed museum has a tedious procedural access. The VSCC Space Museum has the potential to educate and inspire the next generation to contribute to India’s progress in Space Technology.