Wednesday, May 22, 2013

On the way - part 1


Traveling is boring for some and it is all the more so when it’s a daily routine - namely going to work.
Whether you travel by a car or a bus, observing your surroundings and the daily activities can be really interesting.
To start with, its interesting to watch the morning walkers getting along with their brisk morning walk.

If you are lucky you get to see the fag end of the combined exercise activity  by the senior citizens. Everyday the leader keeps changing but the exercise goes on. And then there is the laughter club which some find very amusing.


    The church opposite the Race course is probably one of the oldest one in Pune.



And when you look at it from the other side of the race course, it’s the only landmark in the horizon.

The race course is one of those exciting places. You get to see the horses taken for the early morning training. The horses are wary of the traffic and the cacophony, so the trainer has a tough time holding on to them till they reach the tracks.


Once on the track they just sail through the morning routine of warming up and alternating between a trot and a gallop.



Its good to see people on tracks having their morning walk while the horses move in the opposite direction.

After a good work out they are back in their stables for a much required  rest.

There is a cross road named Victoria road right next to the race course The name of this road reminds me of my school days as our school in Bombay was situated on  Victoria Road (not far from Victoria Garden)  Of course Bombay is now Mumbai,  Victoria Road is Mustafa bazaar and Victoria Garden is Rani baug.


Right behind the Victoria Road sign is the Southern Command Riding school where young guys get their training.

Come summer vacation and you can see a lot of activity here where young boys and girls get a real feel of the horse and horse riding. 

Talking of the Race course you get to see a lot of activity there. Apart from the horses being trained, you come across joggers (who have a different track)




And there are some who do the Surya namaskar the right way -facing the rising sun.


Some believe in walking backwards as they say that it is a better form of exercise.


And after all this the juice vendor is always there to give you your choice of juice.


 I am always fascinated with this tangle of roots and trunks. Wonder how old it is, standing there right on the perimeter of the Empress Garden.


This Garden is one of the oldest in Pune and has some huge trees. Just a sideways glance is enough for one to appreciate the foliage and dense growth there.



From time to time Empress Garden holds some good exhibition cum sale of flowers and saplings. On such days you can expect a minor traffic jam in the evening.
These sugar cane vendors are getting ready with their stock for the day, anticipating the rise in the temperature. The complete contraption is made of wood and is very cost effective. The family pitches in as it requires minimum two people to run the show.


(this is getting to be a long one. . . . . .  so will be continued in part 2)

34 comments:

walk2write said...

It's interesting to see how ordinary life carries on in your part of the world. I notice a lot of contrasts: the church and the horse track, the young and the old people, the wildness of the woods and the cultivated gardens. Life is better with all of its many flavors, each one adding its own distinctiveness.

Ms Sparrow said...

Those ancient gardens are impressive. I'm wondering what people use the sugar cane for--is it used in cooking?

favshireen said...

Nice.. i was used to go by this route to office, year ago.. memorizes all.. :)
Ms Sparrow : The sugar cane juice is life saver in summer.

S. Susan Deborah said...

You carry your camera this early in the morning! (Surprised look). But the vignettes that you have presented to us were so very wonderful. Ordinary happenings of an every day affair - extraordinary to view and relish in a post.

Glad to stop by after some time, Joe.

Joy always,
Susan

anilkurup59 said...

These are pretty good pics . Guess they are looking fresh as the morning itself. The church spires for instsnce and the green!

TexWisGirl said...

gorgeous horses. really like the church with multiple steeples!

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Rune Eide said...

You do have an interesting tour to work. Thank you for this sightseeing and history lesson!

Ujjwal @MMO said...

Great Blog, Good Tour.

Happy Blogging

Marie said...

The horses are beautiful! Lovely church. :)

Abhilasha said...

Hey there...a lovely blog from Pune..yay I'm jumping. It's so nice to c fimiliar sights...awesome pics..I'm a fan..n thanks for ur comment on my blog.. Well some people a re very passionate bat blogging n wanna give it their all..
Stay in touch

Agrigirl said...

That's quite a walk you've taken us on!

Insignia said...

Refreshing..I have always been a late riser inspire of knowing the beauty of the morning I would miss. I see that its a treat to your eyes as well

Sharmila said...

So many familiar sights ... so many memories ... I stayed near that St.Patrick's church ... now realise how much I'd taken those daily scenes for granted. Miss my morning walks in the RC. Miss Diamond bakery's bakes ... the best ever. Missing Pune all over again. Thanks for sharing these lovely photos of my city. :-)

Dave King said...

... and still another part to come... wow! What a post. Thank you so much for putting all this together, it's a brilliant intro.

Anonymous said...

Thanks .Nostalgic for these sights .You have made them come alive ! Cindy

Saru Singhal said...

Even I love doing it and clicking pictures. Lovely shots :)

Karen Xavier said...

You see these sights on your way to work everyday... you definitely have a more entertaining route than me. Love the picture of the church, what is the name of it? Love the horses too... pune is pretty.

Haddock said...

The sugarcane is crushed and the juice is used to quench the thirst. It is healthy too, provided they clean the cane well before crushing it.

Haddock said...

The church is St Patrick's church (also known as Bishop's house)

grace said...

i'm a sucker for horses. :)

Akila said...

Lovely clicks

Lawyer Loves Lunch said...

What fun pictures!

Red Nomad OZ said...

It looks like your early mornings are very different to mine!! LOVE the road sign of the man running - is that meant to say it's safe to cross the road? OR do you run like hell when you see it?!?!

Haddock said...

That is a caution road sign, saying "School area, children crossing"

Dee said...

Dear Haddock, thank you for stopping by my blog this. I've so wanted to learn more about India and now, through your postings, I will! I'm looking forward to following you. I know so little about India that I found myself surprised at the horse racing and training. I can see that you are going to help me broaden my horizons! Peace.

Red Rose Alley said...

Oh, these are pretty horses. I've always wanted to have a horse like this. My daughters travel, but India is a special place they haven't been to yet.

Thanks for your visit today.

~Sheri at Red Rose Alley

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Thank you for visiting my blog and your nice comment. I love horses and the horses in your wonderful photos are beautiful. The church is also very beautiful!

Haddock said...

Welcome Dee. Hope you get to learn more about India from my posts. And now I am honoured as you happened to be the 400th follower.

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:)
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Anuradha Shankar said...

this is a wonderful idea.. to document your daily journeys!!!! in the routine way of life, we so often fail to observe what we can see around us, so i really appreciate this series of yours

Shivani Singh said...

Yeah agree to what Anuradha has just said. i have heard so much about Pune but have never been there. Through ur posts i am familiarizing myself. Btw is it true that Pune is also famous for it's bakeries...cookies. Can't exactly remember what a frnd had got me once from Pune...maybe Shrewsbury cookies or biscuits...

Haddock said...

Yes Shivani, there are many bakeries in Pune (something like one per month keeps springing up)
What you had must be Shrews bury biscuits from Kayani. It was (and stayed) famous for a long time.