Okay, so let me tell you about this trip that’s still fresh in my mind because it was a wild ride from start to finish. I went to Hyderabad and Pune with my friends, and we packed so much into those few days that I still can’t believe we did it all. Let’s start with Hyderabad because that's where things really kicked off.
Hyderabad: From “Meh” to “Oh My God” in 3 Days
We kicked things off in Hyderabad, staying at this fancy Airbnb in Banjara Hills. The area is super posh, and the Airbnb itself was like living in luxury—I almost didn’t want to leave. But we had plans, and oh boy, did they deliver.
The first few days were all about industrial visits, starting with BSNL. Now, you’d think learning about telecoms would be boring, but seeing how they keep millions of people connected in rural areas? Yeah, still boring. Well, if you so want to know, it was bad. Not the staff or the information or the machineries and instruments; those were great. The building, the infrastructure, the hygiene, everything was bad. My expectations were already low because it is a government company, but it miraculously was worse than what I had imagined.They gave us a full tour of how they handle everything from fiber optics to network management, and I learnt a lot. Still okayish.
Then we visited L&T Metro Rail. It was cool seeing how their operations run so smoothly, but what really stood out to me was the level of automation they use. The place was great and they even gave free lunch.
Okay, let me tell you something, when we got to Hyderabad, I wasn’t vibing with the trip at first, like, at all. For the first two days, I felt like nothing was happening. I mean, we were doing the usual—checking out places, eating good food, but it wasn’t clicking. Now here’s where things go from nerdy to FUN. I’ll be honest—after all the industrial visits, I was like, “Okay, where’s the action?” And then it happened: bowling.
Now, I’ve never bowled before, so imagine my shock when I started killing it in the first few rounds. I was actually on top of the scoreboard! But then, in true me fashion, I bombed the last rounds and slid all the way to last place. Classic.
That’s when the fun really started, though. Next day, we hit up this go-karting track. You know when you’re doing something you have no idea how to do but you just go for it? Yeah, that was me. I was speeding, skidding around corners like I thought I was in some Fast & Furious movie. I might’ve caused an accident (oops), but it was all good. Okay, I wasn’t the only one almost crashing—three of my friends had this near-death experience on the track. One crashed, another barely missed a worker while avoiding the first, and the third somehow squeezed between two karts without hitting anyone, a space so tight I swear it was like a movie scene.
Oh, and paintball! Honestly, not as epic as I thought it’d be, but still fun. Everyone was playing safely at there spots until I rushed near the enemy base and became the one because of whom we lost the game. Again, classic. What was awesome, though, was seeing Tumbbad in a theatre later that night. That movie—WOW. It went straight into my top 10 after watching it.
And then we had this random, awesome IoT workshop. They showed us how to build smart devices using sensors and microcontrollers, and I was nerding out the whole time. We even made an obstacle-avoiding car using Arduino. I was sitting there thinking, “This is what I want to do more of.”
Of course, we did the typical tourist stuff, like checking out Charminar, Golconda Fort, and various mandirs. By the end of Hyderabad, I was full-on pumped for whatever Pune had to offer.
Pune: The Unexpected Twist
Pune was a rollercoaster of experiences. This city had its ups and downs. We stayed in this sketchy hotel near the station for the first two nights. The room? Ugh, don’t even get me started. But, right next to it was this gem of a restaurant where we ate some of the best food of the entire trip. It became my favorite spot in Pune, and trust me, I’m not exaggerating. Best food I had in Pune, hands down. But then we moved to a better hotel near the PCMC Metro station, which was a massive upgrade.
Now, let’s talk industrial visits. Our first big one was to BSNL’s Data Center, and as a tech nerd, this was chef’s kiss. I know, I know; after complaining about Hyderabad's BSNL, shouldn't it be the same? Well, no. Mainly because it was only a three hour visit!!!
One of my favorite parts was visiting ISRO in Hyderabad (yeah, forgot to mention that earlier!). The engineers there talked about their space missions, and I felt like I was back in school geeking out over space.
But here’s where Pune gets crazy. On the second-last day, we took a day trip to Lonavala, which I’ve heard a lot about. It’s beautiful, sure, but what’s funny is that the place is OBSESSED with chikki. Like, every shop was selling it. I picked up two boxes—this big, fancy assortment with all the flavors—and here’s my hot take: Rohtak’s chikki is better. Sorry, Lonavala.
Then, we trekked up to Sinhagad Fort. The trek was surprisingly fun for a beginner like me. It was about two hours, with some stunning views along the way. I was feeling all proud of myself for doing this whole outdoorsy, trekking thing. But getting back down was a nightmare because I was running late for my flight and I had to wait for people to fill a jeep going down. Waiting just to squeeze into this jeep with like 15 people? No thanks. I ended up paying extra just to leave with lesser people, which kinda sucked, but hey, I made it to my flight in time.
Oh, and somewhere in between all that, we found out that one of my friends left his bag at Tiger Point in Lonavala. I swear, this trip had so many almost-disasters! Luckily, the staff called him, and we got his bag back. Crisis averted.
Also, vada pavs? I tried so many, but none of them lived up to the hype. The tea, though? 10/10. And Pune’s new metro system? Super cool. We were just a few days late for the inauguration of some new stations, but we got to ride in style anyway.
The Trip Ended, But the Memories Won’t
At the end of it all, I caught my flight from Pune (barely), and on the way back, I bumped into a friend I made on the trip. We had a blast joking around all the way to the airport, and the flight was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had. I don’t know if it was the relief of having made it on time or what, but it was a chill flight.
All in all, this trip was wild. I did so many things for the first time—bowling, go-karting, paintball—and met some awesome people along the way. Plus, I took a ton of cool photos of my friends, and I think I might have accidentally started a new photography hobby? Who knows.
Anyway, that’s the gist of it! Can’t wait for the next adventure. Maybe I’ll be better at bowling by then… or maybe not.
Wrap-Up
Thanks for reading my first blog :)
