Resort Hoka Carrom story.

The Carrom board at the Resort Hoka verandah lounge cum restaurant area is surprisingly popular. I think we bought it for Rs. 800, nearly 4 years ago. It was my idea to put it in the staff room, in order to cut down the time wasted watching television!  However, like many ‘good intentions’ plans,  this one didn’t work. And the carom board was soon in some storage corner in the hotel.

I don’t remember when, but one day the carrom board found its way to the Resort Hoka front verandah. And its usage exceeded all expectations. Any plans of installing a pool table, in the proposed Hoka Indoor games area, were shelved indefinitely now. Carrom versus pool table; that’s like football versus tennis. So I soon imagined. One football, a ground and 22 persons kicking that one ball around! That’s football? Its immensely affordable too. Far simpler and value for money.

Last monsoon the carrom board got soaked in the rain at night. We had forgotten to put it inside. I thought that it’s a goner and its time to buy a new one. But the ply surface soon dried and the board was soon back in service. Now the trajectory of the striker is a bit ‘iff-ish’ and ‘offish’. But that lends its own colour to the carrom game proceedings. With regular doses of boric powder its still hanging in there.

During times when the Resort Hoka, has families with young infants or children, there is a standard mystery of the missing striker and carom coins ever so often. Children have an amazing capacity to find things to do with carom coins and strikers. They don’t believe in or simply do not agree with these ridiculous rules that adults have invented. For example why can’t one stand on the carom board and stomp one’s feet? Now that’s a lot of fun too. And why can’t you use your feet, instead of fingers, to knock the coins into the corner pockets? And why just the corner pockets, why not right into the various nooks and corners of the hotel. And so the mystery of the missing strikers and coins is intermittently solved or remains.  During such times we need to buy a box of extra strikers and coins. It’s a small price to pay for the loads of entertainment the missing strikers have obviously provided to some of the Hoka guests.

Whilst its my desire to have some more games and also a reading room and mini library at the Resort Hoka. The carom story made me once again realize that there are solutions that are simple and this simplicity in itself is the main attraction, relaxing and fun ensuring for many of us.

Cheers

Aditya

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:19:36 +0000 | 1 Comment

 

Chorwad Holiday Camp

On way back from Mangrol to Diu, 29.01.10, Edward and I, dropped in to have a dekho, at the Gujarat tourism, ‘Holiday camp’ at Chorwad, Gujarat. What we came across was, well, to put it mildly, quite a surprise. Shock would be closer.

However this is among the many stories that form the sad state of tourism and heritage buildings in Gujarat. There is a discernable lack of knowledge and interest. But apart from this the Gujarat tourism working & structure seems to need a complete overhaul. It, presently appears defunct and not upto the required task. That much is glaringly evident from a look at almost all their hotel properties and ventures.
I have visited Chorwad, a few times, between 1987-89. It was then, considered among the more premium of places to stay and a must on the Gujarat tourism itinerary.

The photos I have posted are of the erstwhile Nawab of Junagadh’s sea-side summer palace at Chorwad. And later taken over by the Gujarat tourism to run as a holiday resort about 30 years ago.
To many people, especially those from Gujarat, or those who have visited Chorwad before, these photos would be a sort of revelation, I think, as they were to me.

It was strange, almost eerie, the ruins, wind billowing in our ears, and otherwise silence. The usual dogs on the beach and some young couples (where did they come from?!) strolling on the beach.
The beach, though sandy, is dangerous, and there are rocks under the water, making it completely dangerous and non-swimmable. There have been tragic cases of drowning over the years.

Any case, for the time being, there is nothing there and if touring Gujarat, don’t take a detour, thinking you would find a nice place to see or stop over for the night or so. The Gujarat tourism website describes it as in ruins but “as an ideal excursion from Somnath”! This, it definitely is not.

On the way out, we drove past a car, with Haryana registration plates. There was a couple in it. We wondered if they were heading for a holiday at the ‘Chorwad Holiday camp’! A long way to drive to see a derelict set of buildings.

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:24:14 +0000 | No Comments

 

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Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:31:13 +0000 | 1 Comment