Italian Adventures...

First two posts about Italy have created a perception that NBH did nothing but to eat, eat and eat in Italy. Well, amongst other things Daniele’s summer house is indeed well equipped with a variety of fruit trees (Grapes, Apples, Figs to name a few) but honest judgment of the trip is that we immaculately followed the one and the only NBH commandment "Hike Hard and Party Harder". There were no half measures as we undertook two strenuous (hikes in Appennini mountain ranges) and one quite hike to the castle of Sestola. Albeit a bit more demanding on the body and the mind, hiking on the mountain is much more fun when compared to a plain surface as it offers a huge high. It’s so different compared to the usual hikes in and around Belgium. The mountain ranges in Italy were indeed very much picturescue relieving all our stress whenever we got tired. We also encountered the beautiful Lago Scarfaiolo (Scarfaiolo Lake) and a refreshing waterfall called cascate del Dardagna along the path. All through the journey, Kaya kept collecting flowers, Mika kept herself busy collecting blueberries on the way and we kept ourselves busy munching those. Again, we only followed the only NBH commandment :-o

Lush Green Appennini Mountain range

Good to hike on the mountain!!!

Lago Scarfaiolo!!!

Refreshing cascate del Dardagna !!!

Castle Of Sestola

The breathtaking lush green views of the mountain ranges from atop offered much needed Oxygen enabling crucial next step to reach the summit and when you reach the top, the feeling of success, a sense of accomplishment leaves you ecstatic and so were we…

Memorable Tractor Ride
In the contemporary days of Nuclear families and distant relationships, it was a pleasure to be with cohesive Leonellis. All of them were very friendly but the most vocal of them was Daniele’s uncle Palmo. He took us to a tractor ride, which is again one of memorable incidences of the trip. In spite of his broken English, he was very much anxious to put forward his point, generate discussions, offer his opinions and have fun. In his attempt to pronounce our names correctly, he ended up distorting all our names. “Yao Yao” reborn most of the times with names like “Ciao Ciao”, “Miao Miao” etc. etc. In retrospect, if even one of us (except Daniele) knew as much Italian* as Palmo’s English, the fun would have multiplied manifolds. That’s for sure…

NBH on a tractor ride with Palmo!!!

Gazing Stars
A place away from city lights and an open space is an ideal ambiance for star gazing in the night. It was fantastic to spot shooting stars. Some of us spotted three, some of us spotted two, I could spot one and made a wish. Hope the wish comes true…

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* When I realized Daniele’s parents can’t communicate in English I attempted to learn Italian especially for this trip. But my Italian never went pass “BuonGiorno” (Good Day), “Grazie” (Thank You) and "Ciao" (Hello). Terrible, very terrible (Tremendo, molto Tremendo).

Italian Drivers and Ferrari!!!

"Do you mind if I smoke?", Stefano - Daniele's cousin light up his cigarette without waiting for our reply. Me and Koen were sitting on the back of the car with a sand bag in between while Tomas took the front seat along side the driver Stefano. As soon as we came out of the airport Bologna, we found Stefano steering the car as adeptly as any F1 driver could. With one hand holding the mobile while talking to a friend and the other hand holding the cigarette, Stefano could nonchalantly change the lanes from slow to fast and vice versa, mimicking an expert. Bemused with each lane change, me and Koen were colliding sideways on the sand bag one after the other, as if we were in a roller coaster. Quite a bit of a show really until we found ourselves racing with Daniele's car in the parallel lane. Imagine or not, these two drivers were literally racing against each other on one of the busy highways in Italy and later in the heart of their hometown, Modena. Although they raced against each other vehemently, Daniele never (never ever) speed-ed against the car driven by his uncle/father/mother. When questioned why, he responded, "Elders in the family have to be respected. It's a must, a complete must in Italy." By comparison, the elder generation was much more disciplined when it came to driving. It's much safer to be driven by them :-)

Italian drivers and Ferrari do have a special connection, as every F1 Italian driver aims to be a part of the Ferrari's racing team one day in his career. These were the times when Ferrari's Felipe Massa has had a life threatening accident and there were talks about Schumacher making his comeback to the F1 circuit. Looking at these fantastic drivers, left me convinced that Ferrari need not be looking for drivers outside Italy* as there is a lot of hidden talent in Italy alone. The last day tour to Ferrari town, Maranello-Modena and the Ferrari museum were one of the most memorable experiences all of us will cherish for one life to mention the least. We had never ever seen So Many of Them, So close, for So long together in such a short time. We could also don the drivers seat in a F1 car and feel what's it like to be a F1 driver. The seat is so low to the ground for the aerodynamic reasons that you would really feel dragged on the ground at supersonic speeds. must be an incredible experience driving those machines. Apparently, we found ourselves short of time for the ride in a Ferrari (yes, you can rent a Ferrari here paying EUR 60-70 for 10-15 mins or so). Next time, during the visit, this ride must (a genuine must) be the first on the cart. Enjoy the photos...

Upside down or down side up! It's Ferrari cheering u up!!

Ferrari F1 Car. I have a picture with me driving :p. Need to receive from Tomas. 'll blog later

NBH F1 Fans and Ferraris!!!

The Beauty

NBH F1 Drivers?

Never knew such a model ever existed

You can really rent this car for a while

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* As far as my information about F1 goes, another Italian Giancarlo Fisichella (former key Force India driver) joined the Ferrari team in the recent past.

One Meter Pizza in Italy

"Salute, Amore, Denaro e Tempo per Goderli" Spanish/Italian toast which translates to "Wish you lots of Health, Love & Wealth and (most importantly) Time to enjoy all of them", announced Daniele's aunt Rosy on one of the fine Luncheons @ their summer home in Casine, Modena-Italy. I knew that when it comes food Italians are unique but the last trip to Leoneli's summer home redefined my imagination. I always believed (and treated) breakfast as very important meal of the day but I never knew that breakfast should be done twice (one @ home and one in the town) in order to prepare for a sound Lunch and the purpose of the sumptuous lunch is nothing but to get ready for a rendezvous dinner. Every evening during the trip was unique. Every evening was special and more importantly it always used to be a surprize.

A delicious home dinner in day 1* followed by an authentic multi course dinner on day 2 was still fresh in our minds and on the third evening Daniele declared, "Tonight, we'll go to have a One Meter Pizza!!!" and everybody started dreaming about One Meter Pizza that indeed whetted the appetite of one and all. After a small walk as we reached the restaurant, everybody was surprized at the amount of cars being parked at the restaurant. It was as if the entire town had descended to taste a one meter Pizza on the day. Although the wait took us a while to get a table for 10, it seemed all the worth. "What toppings are we going to go for?", Daniele as we occupied the table. Soon the toppings were decided, the orders were placed and we kept eagerly waiting for the special One Meter Pizza. The drinks were served but what all of us wanted was the glimpses of that One Meter long Pizza which I was eagerly waiting to see for the first time. "The son of the owner has received a special training to make the special Pizza", Daniele extended the curiosity once again and now we were no longer able to hide the curiosity looking at the kitchen door from which our Pizza would be brought at any moment.

Finally the wait ended and there it was, in the hands of the waitress who hurriedly parked herself at our table serving us much awaited Pizzas, not one but two (Two but hey, we ordered only one :-)) and two half meter ones :-( Ooops!!! That's not ON :-(:-(:-(:-(:-( Not at all. Even two most beautiful Miss Universes can't replace the woman in your mind.

Pic. 1. Two Half Meter Pizzas. Disappointing :-(

They were big, indeed were huge. They were certainly mouthwatering and yet I believe they did disappoint us. Tastewise, they were undoubtedly one of the best Pizzas we have ever had but that one shear look of One Meter Pizza eluded us may be we all be looking for that elusive one meter Pizza in the heart of Pizza Land during all our forthcoming trips....

Eating the last piece of delicious Pizza ended Tomas hallucinating about One Meter Tiramisu. "If not Pizza, let's have One Meter Tiramisu, Daniele", Tomas. "Not a bad thought", Daniele,"One meter? in which direction though? 2D or 3D?". Not a bad thought either but "Why not One Meter long Tiramisu in all directions?"...LoL.

Pic 2. Can we have One Meter 2D/3D Tiramisu?

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* I understand from Massimo that it really proved to be an ordeal for them to cook a vegetarian meal only for me. Thanks a ton for the effort. I really liked it.

Curious Case Of A Photographer...

"Is NBH made up of crazy photographers?", if you pose this question to the entire NBH Group all of us will raise our hands in unison. And if the group is questioned, "Is Tomas the most obsessive photographer?". I am sure all of you will raise both the hands in unison again. NBH is totally Photo Frenzy group. With tons of Canons and a few Nikons and others (a rarity), everybody in NBH is geared up to photograph one another in addition to the splendid nature. Moreover, in any NBH Hike, Tomas acts like a Photo Warrior, climbing up and down from head to the tail of the group, ensuring that he has all the group members, important spots, all events covered to perfection for the slide show at the end of every hike. On the way, he will offer amateurs like me a lot tips too. Keep this ISO. This focal length should be ideal in this condition. This shutter speed would create a better effect with this light. He is unstoppable. So far so good, but what he did at the end of sumptuous Lunch at Daniele's summer house in Italy left all of us spellbound with his passion for photography.

Pic. 1. Daniele's parents

Pic. 2. Leonellis with the NBH

Pic 3. "The Robin" with his leisure pose

Pic 4. The Curious Case Of a Photographer. Tomas and his model

Pic. 5. Berserk NBH Group (Daniele, Koen, Kaya and Mika)

It was a very special afternoon when most of the Leonelli family (pic 1 and 2) had arrived for the gala lunch. After the sumptuous Lunch as Deniele's uncle Palmo wanted Doggy "The Robin" to be photographed and Thomas with his Canon kneeled down to photograph "The Robin" but Robin was very much adamant and did not want to give up his leisure pose (pic. 3) at any cost and that left Tomas unsatisfied. With a few tricks failing to get The Robin stand, Thomas offered another tip, "You know guys, Animals are best shot with the lens at their eye level." and he went posthumous (pic. 4) photographing The Robin as everybody burst into a huge laughter. Simply Incredible!!! The shot he took was mesmerizing as well. It's a part of the Italy Slideshow. Do have a look. As a side effect, all of us went berserk to shot the photographer and the model. Now on, we'll always remember "Animals are best shot with the lens at their eye level."

Natural Born Hikers (NBH) Song :)))

Landscapes to pass, Challenges to don!
We are hikers naturally born!!

Call me crazy, call me mad
When it comes of walking, I am not that bad

I take steps, one at a time
The monumental distance, falls to a dime

We walk slow, we walk fast
We give our best, till we last

Landscapes to pass, Challenges to don!
We are hikers, naturally born!!

--GuruDeFundae

NBH Hike 08: Sticky and Sweet Madonna Hike

"Oh, You also join these NBH hikes? Is it your first time?", Vaibhav, an UCLA intern in IMEC posed a question. "Yeah Dude, I possibly have missed the number of NBH hikes you have attended so far", I was about to quip but instead started wondering about the dynamism of the NBH Group. With so many new faces joining each and every hike, it's really difficult to keep count on who has come and who has gone. Stunningly, after missing a couple of NBH hikes, one might even feel like an absolute newbie.

Newbie or not, NBH is a lot of fun, specially for a hike when you do know that there is a special and secret destination. The secret event during this hike was Madonna's live "Sticky and Sweet" concert in Belgium. Tomas wanted to keep this as secretive as possible and wanted to show THE FINGER to all of those who missed it for whatever reasons. Out of generosity, I decided to share the secret with some who I thought might be susceptible missing this event. Dimitrios was one of them and definitely I did not want him to miss this opportunity to watch Madonna live. Excited after knowing about the secret on our way to Cafeteria, Dimitrios not only assured me of joining the Hike (and not letting Tomas know that he now knows the secret destination) but also went on to inform Tomas on a Luncheon table as to what a fantastic idea it is to include Madonna's concert as a part of NBH hike. As I reached the Lunch table, Tomas already knew who played the spoilsport and commented ,"You can't keep your mouth shut, can you?".

It was indeed nice that Dimitrios & Co. joined the hike and as a result we could also enjoy the Greek Cheese pie as a part of food testing event. I do not really remember what exactly was on the Menu but a variety of Pastas, Sushis, Puri etc. and above all Koen's dessert was a perfect beginning that started the Madonna's concert. Honestly, it was quite difficult to walk through the return path after sumptuous dinner but it was indeed rewarding to walk through the mist. The view of the Church midway acted as a catalyst to rejuvenate the entire group. One can tirelessly walk all the night if such a beautiful view is a companion all the way...

NBH-Hike 5 with Harry Potter

Some people have universal faces, the appeal is so familiar that you can immediately recognize them. When I saw Frido, a new NBH Hike-5 joinee, in a Table Tennis/Ping pong room for a the first time, I wondered where have I seen him?... somewhere for sure...he looks so familiar. But, it was Yao who resolved the conundrum during the fifth NBH Hike for me, that too in her first look. Girls have special sight, watta say? "Hey, you look like Harry Potter." Yao yelled and everybody nodded. "Well, you are not the only one who thinks so....almost all Chinese think of me as Harry Potter." admitted Frido as he was not bemused a bit. Frido indeed has a face resembling Harry Potter protagonist Daniel Radcliffe (You all can Judge for yourself) and the name Harry Potter would stick to him during each and every NBH Hike it attends henceforth.

Frido- The Harry Potter

I for one would like him to display his magical skills once in a while. It would indeed be nice to take us to newer and newer exotic locations that would make us awe with serendipity. He may heal our tiring legs after every 10-15kms so that we can hike longer distances. Prevent showers when NBH is at work. Create water fountains, chocolate buffets whenever the group get tired and may be make all of us fly on a single carpet so that we can have the splendid view of the beautiful Belgium, Europe and the World from the sky.

Woods in Belgium seem to have a pattern. I thought some part of forest was similar to the Tervuren park that NBH has visited previously. I mean at one spot there were around 8-9 paths meeting at a point when compared to the 13 in the Tervuren part. Also missing were the 3 characteristics stones in the Tervuren park. As we proceeded further we reached a point where for the first time during an NBH hike, we had to pave our own way and Amir lead us admirably. We all knew that we had to cross a rivulet (Belgians would call it a river) but had to take the path from the head high bushes, thorns and trees to locate the bridge. Later Johny and Marlene discovered the tick bites. But, we all are safe and sound and can aptly upgrade our status as "Natural Brave Hikers".

May be I will be missing the Waterloo reenactment Hike and I am sure you all gonna have fun out there. Catch you during the next Surprize Hike. Till then Copper (Cu)...

NBH Hike III: The Cuisine, The Planes and Johny's Garden

"That's not a plane, that's a school bus", quipped Johny as we were witnessing the landing of a plane on Brussels runway from a plataeu. "Don't worry...in a while we'll go further close to get a better view of them and the lens need not be zoomed", and boy!!! He was dead right. "I don't like these small ones. I am a big fan of those big booming machines!" Johny was unstoppable during the NBH Hike-III as he was directing the group as if airport was his garden in the backyard of his home. "Is he a pilot flying in and out of Brussels every day and night?" I wondered. But we all know big Johny as a big aircrafts lover and when I was talking to him about F16s and F18s he summarized, "They are very interesting birds you know. They makes some mysterious acts." and then followed name of some of his favorite aircrafts whose names sounded like alien birds to me.

Amidst uncertainty because of the weather forecast, Tomas decided to go on with the "Full Moon Hike" as we would have missed the full "Full Moon View" if the hike would have been postponed by a week or so. Luck favors the brave and the weather was at its best, quite warm and sunny as we boarded the bus next to IMEC. After hiking till the runway, I was interested in food as much as in planes. After all, this hike was the hike with the difference and we could feast on the international cuisine at our disposal.

The Cuisine and Daniele's Kitchen
The menu was obviously very rich. Actually it's difficult to remember all the items but let me try my best. We had Japanese: sushi; Chinese: spring roles, Manchu Belgian: meat balls*, cookies, tart, Waffles, chocolates; Indian: coconut rice, and kande pohe; Swiss: sparking milk called Rivolli,Ricolla or something. Italian: Salami* (from Italy and hence Italian).

Daniele sitting with the folded legs cutting salami on the plate placed in front of him reminded me of a plenty of people concentrating on their food during Indian ceremonies. Here though he was serving salami to all including himself with a similar concentration.

Nandan and me attempted "kande pohe" at my place. At times you want to give all your best and somehow things get screwed up in the process. The same thing happened to us. Kande pohe became very spicy even for an Indian's taste. All those who tasted had the same response.: "It's spicy.....pause....pause....pause....blink....blink.....blink.....but it's nice." The impact was so huge that even during the next week Tomas said to me,"Guru, the yellow rice was tooo spicy man..." Watch out next time guys. 'll make up for this mishap.

On crossroads

As we finished food and embarked upon the return journey after the sunset, weather did what it usually does the best in Belgium. The warmth and sunshine had turned into lightening and thunder. The Sun had eloped with no sign of moon. The clouds were turning dark and were fast approaching us. We started setting up the pace but were intercepted by rain and all of us were a bit wet. Without bothering about the weather we kept on walking and came to railway station on the way. Familiar tunnel provided an amiable shelter. We were on the crossroads as there was the BIG question. Should we call the hike off and take the train back to Leuven? Should we wait a while and then start walking? or Should we just continue walking? I must state here I would have been terribly disappointed if we had taken the train back to Leuven. It would have been like going to a big match as a team, taking the allowance (read food) and come back without fight. The pause at the station might have lured some of us to get into the cozy train as soon as it arrives in the station. The best decision was to keep walking and in retrospect I am glad that we did just that and it proved to be the best decision, isn't it? The raindrops turned thinner and thinner and vanished after a while. It was not that cold either and we could enjoy the deja vu feeling as we witnessed some of the familiar spots and memorable incidences during earlier hikes.

There is the Moon :)))

It's a very good test as an individual, as a group to be on the crossroads. It shows up your character a bit. Those who take brave decisions in such circumstances often come out thriving. In the event of loss there is nothing to repent as we all are aware that it was a risky decision as we take the ownership of it. After taking a gutsy decision at the station, it must have been our destiny to witness a full "Full moon" as we approached the tunnel in the IMEC woods. It was indeed satisfying to catch the glimpses of the moon as we were set out for a "Full Moon NBH Hike-III" and although for a brief period towards the end the Moon did show up to make a happy ending...

Next day was set up as a Kayak trip in Dinant for me. Another painful decision but as Tomas says "No Pain, No Gain". But that's another story...
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* I must admit these are the times when it's difficult to stay veggie.

NBH Hike-II: Dinant

Some places are worth visiting once while some beacon you to come over time and again. Dinant, a birthplace of Saxophone, in the south Belgium is one such place that would attract you again and again. The view of Meuse, atop Citadel is mesmerizing, not to mention the breathtaking view of the Citadel itself hanging on the cliff from below. The place is also a known attraction for adventurous sports like kayak, rock climbing etc. and there are more than one spots to hang out. In short, for more reasons than one, I could not resist to join the 2nd NBH hike to Dinant in spite of visiting it once during the last year.

Dinant Citadel from below

River Musse and Dinant City from atop Citadel

River Meuse and Dinant View from atop Citadel

Unguided Citadel Tour in the Dark

The day started with the tour of the famous Dinant Citadel. No two trips can be identical and that makes every trip exciting. While I had toured Citadel under the tutelage of a guide (read poking into history and similar (boring to many)stuff) last year. This time around, NBH decided to embark upon an unguided tour to save crucial time. The most exciting part obviously was an unbalanced ground created because of the WW-II shelling. Walking on disoriented/inclined surface gave nauseatic feeling (similar to some Disney world rides) to most of us....an experience to remember indeed!!!

NBH Hikers conquering Disoriented Floor

While the Citadel caretaker generously allowed us to visit the Citadel on our own, he (probably) forgot to switch on the lights inside. This gave us an opportunity to taste life in Citadel in pre-electricity era and the visit can as well be termed as "The Dark Unguided tour of Citadel". Candles would have certainly added to the flavor... What u guys say? Good to use them during the next visit??

Marleen and her book

At the end of the Citadel tour, I could spot Marlene* reading a novel on Egypt. When I queried, she had a logical reply, "We plan to do 26kms in 6hrs, you imagine 6 hrs for 26 kms? I guess that would give me a lot of time to walk through the book while you guys walk the distance." Point taken...

This NBH hike could actually called a hike as it involved some inclined distance patches in patches. This is not that typical for Belgium as most of the region is as flat as a Billiard table. Most memorable part in the hike would have been the tranquil patch near the ruins. The sound of flowing water was reminiscent of a flutist playing a mystique tune.

Picturescue Ruins

Lake Amidst Tranquility

Most tough part for most of us must have been walking up 400steps towards the end of the hike. They appeared to be mountain to surpass. Had trolleys been functional, many of us would have opted for them to go up.

Canons Versus Nikons

I am waiting for an NBH hike when the number of cameras increase the number of hikers. Fortress of Canons usually, this NBH hike saw as many Nikons as Canons. The photos were extremely competitive too. I wish it's a new beginning...

Tomas - A lone Belgian :(

Tomas himself had a good observation at the end of the hike. He was the only Belgian in the group for the hikers. He wanted NBH to go international last year and is implementing his plans to take the group in that direction. Not this way tough...Steven, Xavier, Jeroon, Koen: See you next time.

Finally, A group picture...

NBH Group of Hikers

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* Most of the readers should know Marleen to understand/imagine/appreciate her predicament. Extremely fit athlete and known to set up pace in the group, she is a very regular runner covering 70kms every week.....yeah, you read it right....70kms every week. I for one will take a life time to run 70km :)

Hoge Venen Hike: An Icy Adventure

SO far PhD in IMEC has been like a holiday, may be picnic is a better description. The day I came back from vacation this year in 2009, Tomas sent an elaborated hike schedule for 2009 . He informs me that he already has all of them planned for 2009. I am not sure how much time he spends on planning but I guess it would be at least a tad more than he enjoys traveling during hikes. The first hike this year was planned at biggest national park: “The Hoge Venen” (http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoge_Venen) @ about 700m above sea level, highest point in Belgium. Tomas had warned all of us that it's going to be swampy and be prepared for tougher conditions and be ready for challenges.

I reached the departure venue with a bit of guilt feeling as I was 10 minutes late than decided time of 8:15AM*. We (22 hikers for 21Kms) had to reach the venue by cars as the trains and buses are not that frequent to these isolated locations in Belgium. The day in Leuven was very good, clear and sunny with a bit coldness in the air was perfect and the weather forecast also suggested that we would get lucky with the weather yet again. As we reached the venue, it was mist all over with ice all around in the parking lot. Looking at the weather prediction and also not taking Tomas's mail seriously I (and many of us) were ill prepared for the trip. We did not have adequate shoes and also at the last moment I had decided that the Jacket would be an overkill and chose to carry an overcoat instead.

The chilliness at the destination meant that the faster we started walking the better it is. But, we hardly could. The icy conditions and moreover the presence of sleet than thicker Ice at many places provided frictionless surface and we had to be extra careful not to grass the ass. We could experience how difficult it is to walk on ice and why mountaineers need to train so hard escalating tougher peaks. The surrounding during this hike was an aberration from the typical Belgian landscape too. There were grassy bumps amidst Ice rather than lush green landscape we used to and it was a very nice to walk through them. The wooden planks laid provided safer path in most of the places.

Wooden Track and Hikers

Not so easy...yeah....not so easy

Still some places were very tricky, specially the path that took us above the mountain and down hill. I myself had a close shave 4-5 times but surprisingly did not grass the ass. Arul unfortunately did become a victim once and Amir was excellent capturing it in the following video:

Aaaamir... You are simply great!!!

Jeroen & Xavier# along with Ekhi & Aritz were leading the pack, setting the pace this time while Johny, as an experienced hiker, had assumed the responsibility to tightening the end so that nobody left missing. Tomas as usual was going up and down capturing photos for his post hike slide shows. Xiao, Jun, Mika and Rachel (Liqiu) were his favorite models. Koen with his pony tail was busy bantering all the way. Keskei, Peng and Linke were enjoying their first NBH Hike experience.

At some stages it felt so isolated that Christoph commented "Out of nowhere We are Out in the Nowhere". It was so true. We were so far and so aloof from traffic, town and trains....Chaos in general :) and it was simply wonderful.

Midway through the hike I thought that Jun has improved hiking skills leaps and bounds and informed her so. I had to eat my words when I saw this picture:

Jun and Daniele

An unfortunate (yet hilarious) part of the hike will have to be Sandeep damaging his shoe midway. His shoe sole came out as he was walking though the Ice and he had to follow a short cut highway to the parking lot. It seems his sole came completely out after he left us and had to essentially drag his shoe with him for around 2-3kms. YY and Sabrina accompanying him on the way must have witnessed the ordeal. A golden shoe for the public is available here:

Sandeep's Golden Shoe

At the end it was time to take a group picture. After all we had all survived a path where they say people were lost and never found....

The Group Of Survivors

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* This is the toughest challenge to join the hikes. It's very difficult to get up early on holidays, specially when you have lost a Chess game a night before.

# We did miss Marleen and Steven this time. With them around Jeroen would definitely have been able to maintain a brisk pace (~5-6 kmph) in spite of tougher conditions. Any bets??

50 kms Marathon Hike in Belgium: An experience

The shortened version of pictures of the hike can be seen @ http://picasaweb.google.com/guruprasad.katti/50KmBelgiumHike

Here is a description of this hiking experience:

I have been a regular member of a hiking group in IMEC. Thomas and Steven have been organizing these hikes extremely professionally. They decide upon the distance to be covered, dig up Belgian maps, identify picturesque locations en-route and we all are set to go. Thanks to their meticulous planning we all have been able to visit interior Belgium which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. The distance of the first hike starts around ~22-23kms (Thomas calls it as warm-up) and increases by ~6-7 km every hike. All hikes this year have been beautiful but the one stands out in my memory is the longest 50km (49km on paper but in reality we must have crossed 50 by a margin) that concluded the first hiking season of 2008.

The hike was scheduled on Sunday as some of us were also planning to join ICC’s trip to Trier-Germany on Saturday. Trier trip concluded with a grand dinner @ Buddha’s place and as a result with insufficient sleep and half opened eyes I reached IMEC at 8:15 AM (a bit late than others), dreaming to walk 50kms during the day. The plan of the trip was alluring. In the first leg (~16 kms) we were supposed to reach African museum in Brussels through Tervuren garden. Second leg (~17 kms) included photography @ Zaventum - Brussels airport. Thomas is an avid aviation photographer and I would have loved to get some tips to handle my new canon 400D. Actually, everybody in the group is a photographer and I was a new entry to the family so tips from anybody would have been welcome. The last leg was involved a castle visit but I more or less read it as a long walk back to IMEC-Leuven.

Tervuren-First Leg

Like most of the hikes, starting was through familiar IMEC Heverlee woods. As we reached Tervuren the beauty started to unfold. Roads in Tervuren go through lush green fields and are well-known for cycling. Undoubtedly we faced a lot of cycling groups along our walk. The biggest of them was Brussels bike rally. On the way, we also confronted an adventurous motor bike group enjoying their Sunday.

Tervuren Park is awesome!!! (can’t find a superlative word). Thirteen radially outward paths having age old tress on both sides meet at the centre consisting of three medium size stones. We took one of those thirteen to enter the garden and the opposite to reach the other end. At the other end of the park there is an African museum and also a canal. A very picturesque location….very ideal for photography. Tervuren alone is a spot to spend the entire day and I will definitely do it sometime soon. Many of the new group members joined the group here and some of them visited African museum. I do not visit museums unless somebody tells me it’s something special (read Louvre-Paris or Vatican Museum in Rome). Moreover, park landscape was so beautiful that I wanted to spend as much time as possible, possibly entire day, right there. But after lunch it was time to walk remaining ~33…..

Zaventum-Second Leg

The walk between African museum and Zaventum was good too. All along we were passing through freshly ploughed fields spotting aero planes which grew bigger and bigger as we approached the runway. After reaching very close to the runway we tried to spot all which flew during that time. Obviously most of the planes belonged to Brussuels Airlines. I felt disappointed that there were no fighter jets and would love to spot them in future. Some of the folks dropped out after this stage as it was a tad late and we were a bit behind schedule, yet to cover around ~16kms on our way back.

Final Frontier

Luckily this proved to be the most beautiful part of the trek. There were a very few townships and most of the way went through the woods. Thomas made a forecast that we may be lucky to watch the Sunset on our way back and he was proved dead right. Watching the red dusk standing amidst green fields was a very fabulous experience. Walking was tough for everybody now. I had a huge blister in my left leg and it was very painful to walk bearing it. If the nature would not have been this beautiful I would have got bored on the way…..and who knows might have caught a bus to Leuven midway.

How about 100kms hike?

There was some talk of 100km hike during the walk. It seems there is place where a bunch of folks walk 100kms in a day. To me, that’s looks difficult to achieve. I can maximum stretch is to 60kms. Anything more than that calls for a bus or a train… To my satisfaction I would walk inside the bus during entire journey...

Next Day @ Office

Gratifying mind, sumptuous food and tired body is a very good recipe for a nice sleep. We obviously had all of that at the end of the day. All of us deserve a special award for coming to office the next day. I had blister in one leg while Sandeep had it on both legs. Both of us were limping in IMEC for almost a week. Next time when I walk 50 kms, I would see to it that I have 2-3 days to recuperate after the trek and the path is as good as Thomas and Steve chose this time around or else….