By this Author: Anuj Tikku

While travelling, one just goes nuts. Hopping from one flight to another can get tiresome. This is why access to an airport lounge is a must. Airport lounges are an ideal place to unwind and stretch out at the airport before one boards a flight. I, for one, enjoy the privilege of carrying a Priority Pass. This special black card gives me unlimited access to airport lounges in over 450 cities and covers over 900 airport lounges. Following are the services one can avail in a Priority Pass lounge.

Free Wi-Fi and Laptop Facility

This feature is a must-have. One can take the time to check e-mails and get the travel writing assignment done all the while relaxing on the soft and spacious sofas of the lounge.

Charge Your Batteries

Lounges are also a great place to recharge your mobile phone, camera and computer, so you don’t lose power during those critical moments. Sockets and plugs are available at most lounges with backup charging facilities.

Buffet and Breakfast

Food is available around the clock at these lounges, starting from breakfast, lunch to dinner. All non-alcoholic beverages are free of charge and one also gets hot towels to refresh oneself

Access to Flight Information and Newspapers

The monitors in the lounge keep you up-to-date with your flight information so that you don’t miss your flight while you are chilling out in the lounge. Magazines and newspapers are available if you wish to catch up on the latest news.

Showers

One can take a quick shower and a shave to look fresh for the onward journey. It is also a good time to change your clothes from informal to business or vice versa depending on the occasion.

Massages

One can enjoy a brisk 25-minute massage at these lounges with professional masseurs who are ready to give you a physical as well as mental makeover at all times.

All one needs to do is show your boarding pass and the Priority Pass to get access to these lounges and then it is a smooth sail from there. Airlines like Kenya Airways offer lounge facility to people who are travelling by business class even if they do not carry a Priority Pass.

The cost of the priority pass card is 399 dollars. You can buy one from the site www.prioritypass.com to avail of its membership. For my life as a travel blogger, this facility is a must.

I and Geoffrey were a pair now as he had been driving me around Uganda for almost a week now. We decided to go for a cruise around Lake Edward to see the birds and reptiles that lived in the area.

The hip-hopping hippos were a sight to behold as they swam and yawned in the river with crocodiles wriggling past the shore. I loved watching the mighty eagle in full flight up in the air. The eagle swirled above the sky as pelicans swirled around the lake. Urchins jumped into the lake to take a bath and fishermen in their boats crossed the river to catch fish. I and Geoffrey were in a motor boat as we saw reptiles crawling on the river bed. A dance of nature was right in front of my eyes as I saw the kingfisher soaring with elegance in the air.

Chirping birds and burping hippos. Man, this was paradise on earth. Enjoy the pictures and the wonderful sceneries of Lake Edward.

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Finally the day of departing this wonderful town comes near and i feel a sense of the blue’s . I had my final meeting of the day with Shraddha of yourstory.com and then was whisked away by the DTZ Property team to see a couple of more properties in Indra Nagar , which is one of the most up market areas of the city I liked what i saw but was not able to make up my mind . It started to rain as usual and the cloud’s came up .I could see the rain pelting all around me ,it was wonderful and was lost in the musky haze of the city. I got a taste of Banglore traffic for the first time man it is a bitch. “ you know i always think how difficult must be for wealthy people to manage all their assets , they must be getting all confused , what with all the day to day decisions one has to make.” i gasped to Shachi . “ I agree but then they have managers and secretaries to manage their wealth and you do need some trust worthy people around you .” Trust well that is a limited commodity in today’s time . My eyes rolled towards the window as the traffic passé by .

Bangolore the Garden city , The Lake City , The Temple City the Indian silicon valley , i saw it in all it’s Avatar . From it’s temples to it’s gardens i aquatinted myself with the property market of the city , it’s Startup culture , it’s travel portal’s and it’s food . I enjoyed the ambience the weather and also managed to catch a movie with my cousin’s .

It is a city that i want to come back to again , but haven’t i said the same about every other city i was in . I wanted to settle down in Honk Kong and Singapore last . That’s the fun of this journey you never really know where you are going . An Unknown current has taken over and i am riding on the wave. The rain is still on and some thunder can be heard now . Dhar has briefed me on his task for the next month and i am satisfied that i am headed in the right direction . My Tickets are booked and bag’s are packed as i bid farewell to Bangeluru ….

Man the weather is the most amazing this about this city , the weather is always around 25 - 30 degree’s from sunny to cloudy and then a bit of rain. It seems like it always rains in Bangalore after the sun has been out for a while . I had completed a week in this city and had been keeping busy. Abhishek my cousin and his new bride , we all went for the movies , and guess what we watched?

Talvar the movie made on the 2008 Arushi Murder case. The movie was very engaging with a great cast Irrfan Khan , Konkona Sen Sharma , Tabu and a whole host of character artistes . They played their part’s to the tee .The music from Vishal Bhardwaj was haunting and he does have the technique to make dark cinema. It’s the rawness of the film that strikes you and how truth is pursued but at the same time how differently it can be perceived and the final tragic verdict. A must see film doesn’t take sides and yet shows us fact’s presented in the light of each murder theory.

talvar

I wanted to visit Coorg - the land of the Cauvery but canceled my plan at the last min , I wanted more sleep and decided I needed it and I just could not wake up as early for the drive. Woke up late , missed breakfast, my first time in weeks and went to crash my pal's place. We went for a ride after a while and he took me whizzing past the day in his car. We visited a lake called Bellandur and which has been in the news lately I was told but no I wasn't around the newsy part - more the calmer side!!. I later watched my friend's kid practicing the piano and it felt sublime! All in all a rewarding and interesting experience.

I started feeling hungry after a bit and walked around and found a "juice shop" and tasted Kokum the first time in the form of juice and feasted on mango lassi after a tasty round of Ambur Biriyani I found being sold on a road. Oh! god bless the lovely weather here.

ambur-bir

The morning started with a call from Ani to give me a earful of advice on how to pick the right property in Bangalore and how not to hurry up with my decision, hardly surprising since there is money to be made. I then went around with the team from DTZ to see some cherries that i could pick from the city's property market. I zeroed in on a townhouse condominium called Zonasha Paradisio . I think it should be a good buy at half a million US$ and with a rent agreement with someone in the hospitality who could pay a rent of 15lakh’s per annum. But Ani has advised to wait and decode attitude on this one.We searched for flat’s in Indira Nagar , and Whitefield road.

I had my breakfast and took a hotel taxi straight to the office of Thrillophilia . It was on the third floor with a lot of activity happening all around . I was greeted by Chitra the CEO & founder of the company and she liked my Travelthon story and concept so far and advised me that some one from her content team would call and take it from there.

chitra

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The last meeting was a bumper Holiday Iq cancelled my appointment and i was left with nowhere but the hotel to go to. After my lunch meeting with my friend, I decided to hit the SPA at the hotel called O2. It was for a 90 Min Thai and Balinese massage and spa treatment was just what i needed , man the after she covered me head to toe in oil and rubbed my muscles with vigor . Each point on the feet each nerve was pressed and put in it’s place , all the loose joint’s where tightened as i made funny noises . I went to sleep for a while as the massage was intense and very soothing .The room smelled of jasmine and rose , with music playing in the background , the lighting was low and the room was spacious. The massage lady just went on and on making sure no part of the body was left asking . I took regular sip’s of lime water to relax myself . After the 90 min massage , i took a shower and headed out .It was a wee expensive Rs 5000 in all and i felt like i was floating on the cloud’s .It was like coming out of the gym , only with less aches and pain’s . On top of that it is healthy for the blood circulation and the oil is great for the skin. I loved the experience and will repeat it surely during my stay here Ah! Bangalore i am enjoying it…