Week 5 ~ Sep 16th 2006
I had been waiting to make the decision to visit Lake Tahoe. There it arrived. Buoyed by the arrival of a new guy to join our onsite team who was keen on travelling just like me, we decided to travel to Lake Tahoe. We decided to take the Amtrak to Lake Tahoe and stay there for the weekend. I should say that though I was all pumped up, I started doubting my decision. By this time I had grown independent and travelling with another person especially a guy I knew little about was causing discomforture within my innerself. What the hell I could still give it a try!
We were supposed to take 720 Capitol Carridor train to Sacramento and transfer to an Amtrak bus that would take us to South Lake Tahoe. The Capitol Coridor leaves Richmond station (the station that is nearest to my place) at 7:00 AM which would mean that I had to get up early and complete my chores. I woke up well in time and reached the Amtrak station around 6:45 (ofcourse there was no fumbling at the ticket booth this time). Time was ticking by and there was no sign of my colleague. I resisted the urge to call him wishing he might be travelling. The Capitol Corridor arrived at 7:00 AM and still no sign of my colleague. Once seated I called him to hear that he had overslept. Strangely this didn't bother me as I secretly cherished the idea of travelling alone!
We reached Sacramento at the precise time (9:30 AM). The Amtrak bus stand adjoins the railway station and I had no difficulty in spotting the bus. The bus had few travellers but a lively driver. As is usual I dozzed off as soon we were aborad. The bus journey took 3 hours along a winding highway. The first stop (a few miles before South Lake Tahoe) saw almost all passengers get down except me. These passengers were mostly campers who take the weekend off for camping along the numerous mountains in Lake Tahoe. I had an opertunity for a casual chit chat with the driver during our lonely ride to South Lake Tahoe. The driver rues about the poor marketing strategy of Amtrak management in not attracting the public from using a cheaper public transportation. He blamed the californians free/liberal mentality which drove them to do things independently (like driving a car all alone from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe). He also suggested that I take a trip to Eureka mountains and rent a log cabin in the woods. Eureka according to him had great redwoods and was quite scenic. (One of my clients later put down that spot as "Not so great"). I got down at the Stateline transit center in South Lake Tahoe. Stateline denotes a road that seperates 2 states viz. California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe lies partly in these 2 states. While California is green and scenic Nevada is more of a desert. Nevada has casinos while California doesn't (Las Vegas, the famous casino city lies in Nevada). My first stop was at the visitor center that lies close to the stateline transit center to know more about Lake Tahoe. With a helpful host I was able to get more details on Lake tahoe including maps and brochures on must see spots. I decided to check into my hotel which lies on the stateline for a quick stopover. When I reached the reception, I was surprised to see portraits of Shirdi Sai Baba plastered all over the walls and it turned out that the hotel was owned by an Indian family. After pleasantaries I checked into my room. The room was not plush but comfortable for a overnight stay. I was feeling hungry and with directions for an indian restaurant (courtesy of the hotel help desk) I decided to walk 1.5 miles for a sumptous lunch. But after a few minutes, I thought I had lost my way as there was no sign of the restaurant. So I decided to make my way back to the Stateline and go to a Subway instead.
Lake Tahoe has a Gondola (rope car) ride that takes you 10,000 feet above sea level over treachorous slopes to a fantastic view of the lake. The Gondola ride was fascinating and it gives a great view of the surrounding sierra mountains. Some of these mountains are snow capped and are a treat to watch. The rope car's first stop was at a mesh deck which was situated at 10,000 feet for a picturesque view of the lake and the mountains. I spent sometime wandering around the deck peeping through telescopes (I could spot a helicopter upclose but failed to see that with a naked eye). The next stop was a little further where the Gondola drops you to hike around or take other rides (most of these other rides were deserted and closed). I had well around 1 hour to take a hike as I had planned to take a catamaran ride (starting at 3:40 PM) around Lake Tahoe. There were various trails ranging with varying levels of diffculty. I decided to take the trail that would lead me to the StageCoach. After hiking for a few minutes and taking countless diversions (all along the route there were plenty of rope car rides that were deserted), I decided to return back. There were clear signs pointing to the Gondola all along but these became confusing after a short while as the signs became contradictory. They would point point to one direction and after a few meteres in another direction though you might be travelling on a plain straight trail (atleast they appeared to confuse me). After sometime I reached a point which appeared a few feet below the Gondola station and appeared to have lost my way. There was a motely crowd of youngsters hiking their way down and I asked them if they knew how I can reach the Gondola Station. They pointed to a spot a long way up and I felt dizzy at the thought of covering the distance. Time was fast ticking by for the catamaran ride and I had hardly 10 minutes to catch the Gondola back to South Lake Tahoe. I started climbing fast but started panting after a few minutes. I could climb no futher and my head started spinning. I wanted to rest but time was of essence. With great difficulty I pushed myself harder. At this point I passed a bunch of hikers (who appeared Oriental). As I passed them they remarked "You are so fast". I didn't understand. I looked back and asked them what they meant. They said that they had passed me uphill while I was climbing down sometime back but was fast to catch them uphill (I never remembered passing them). I thanked them and reasoned that I was late for a catamaran ride. I waved them goodbye and said "Catch you later". They waved back remarking "We will never catch you, you are too fast for us". Buoyed by their compliments I started walking fast but started noticing that I was well past the time. Disheartened I began to trek at a leisurely pace. My mind was occupied on the next course all through my way down the Gondola ride. At the Gondola station I sat down to plan on what to do next. Lake Tahoe has a few companies that offer cruises along the lake. Most of these start from Zephyr Cove resort. The Zephyr cove restort is 4 miles from the Stateline. I zoomed in one such company that offers a catamaran sunset ride around Lake Tahoe for 2 hours. The tour starts at 6:00 PM and ends around 8:00. To reach Zephyr Cove one has to take a cab or use the not so frequent blue line public buses. I decided to opt for the public transport. The boarding point was at the Stateline Transit Center. I waited at the transit center for an hour before the bus turned up. The bus was more like a mini van and hardly had a passenger (no wonder the town offers less public transport). The 4 mile ride took 15 minutes and I was dropped at the Zephyr cove. I purchased tickets for the catamaran ride and waited anxiously to board the boat. After a few minutes wait, we were cheerfully welcomed aboard by a genial crew
The catamaran was infact a trimaran. It had 3 hulls. Though it had a inner deck where seats were avialble, the top deck had beds and quilts for passengers to sit/lie and relax and view the sunset. I lay down on a sleeping bag on the open deck with a sweeping view of the lake. Near me were a bunch of ladies chattering and jabbering all the way. One of them confronted me and engaged in a pep talk. They were curious to know where I was from and what took me to the Lake Tahoe. After the initial niceties, It was my turn to pepper them with questions. The ladies were obviously touring as a group to "escape from their husbands" (sic). They were from texas and were buddies for long. When I quizzed them as to what attractions/places texas had, prompt came the reply "Nothing". "It has only cowboys"!!
Leaving the ladies, I wandered all along the deck watching people sip Champagne. The boat was serving complementary champagne. I have watched champagne corks being popped and the froth sprayed in sports events like Formula 1 but haven't see the drink upclose. What was it like to taste champagne? I have heard that champagne was one of the costliest drinks. Thinking of all this made me wonder if I can taste one. What happens if it has high alcoholic content? Will it make me cringe and puke? I was still in half minds but what the hell it would never cost me to taste one (after all it is complementary). I went to deck downstairs and ordered a champagne. Only when I sipped did I realise that it was infact a sweet wine. I took my position on the sleeping bag and began to sip champagne watching the sunset over the beautiful lake. Lake Tahoe is over 1600 feet deep and doesn't freeze in the winter due to a convection mechanism (the lake absorbs heat during the day and radiates it during the night). The Lake was formed due to a volcanic activity millions of years ago. Lake Tahoe has crystal clear water and bottom of the lake can be viewed for a few miles from the shore. The lake stretches for around 73 miles and is situated across California and Nevada states. One of the most scenic spots along the lake is Emerald bay. It is a narrow stretch of water along a valley. It was most relaxing to sip champagne and watch sunset over the lake. With time it was getting colder and my jacket was not aiding my cause. I began to shiver and had to go downstairs to the warm deck for a while. But soon I was on my feet again and started taking rounds around the upper deck. I saw the captain and the first mate sterring the ship and engaged them with questions on Lake Tahoe and their adventures. The first mate was very forthcoming with his suggestions on which casions I should visit. It was getting increasing cold and I thanked the stars when I see the shore on the horizon. I didn't have to wait longer as we reached shore around 8:00 PM. I walked out waving a goodbye to the texas ladies and wondering how to get back to my hotel. Before coming to Zephyr Cove I had checked the bus schedule and found that there was a bus to Stateline from Zephyr Cove around 9:00 PM. But the crowd was thinning fast and within a matter a few minutes I was the only one left in the resort. It was extremly cold and dark and I was getting worried. Fortunately for me there was a gentleman sweeping the floors of a closed restaurant whom I could view from the closed glass doors. I signalled to him if he knew where I could get a cab. I was not sure if I could convey those words by signs. But fortunately for me, he understood and opened the doors to give the number of the cab company. Thankfully the cab arrived in 10 minutes after my call. I requested the friendly driver to take me to an Indian restaurant. He suggested a few and came up with his own choices. "You know this restaurant doesn't serve sag paneer. That restaurant does serve a good biryani....." Finally he threw the name of "Taj Mahal" restaurant which was near the Stateline (This was the same restaurant I had gone in serach of in the afternoon). He called the restaurant and booked a table for me. So kind of him. I thanked him with a generous tip. After a sumptous dinner, I walked all the way to the stateline. As mentioned earlier, the stateline seperates 2 states viz. California and Nevada. Nevada has a thriving casino industry which meant that the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe had plenty of casinos. The most famous among these were Hurrah's, Harvey's and Mont Blanc. I decided to take a look at the casinos. My first stop was at Mont Blanc. The casino was so huge and there were plenty of games all around. I took a trip around the floor watching curiously the card games, the roulettes etal. Though I was not interested in playing any myself, I was content to watch the games from behind. I visited Hurrah's and Harvey's and took in the mamoth games floor. There were hundreds of customers huddled around slot machines, roulettes and various computer terminals concentrating hard on the outcomes but I could never spot a happy face (probably most of them were losing!!). After a tiring day, I retired to my hotel for a much needed rest and looked forward to the next day......
We were supposed to take 720 Capitol Carridor train to Sacramento and transfer to an Amtrak bus that would take us to South Lake Tahoe. The Capitol Coridor leaves Richmond station (the station that is nearest to my place) at 7:00 AM which would mean that I had to get up early and complete my chores. I woke up well in time and reached the Amtrak station around 6:45 (ofcourse there was no fumbling at the ticket booth this time). Time was ticking by and there was no sign of my colleague. I resisted the urge to call him wishing he might be travelling. The Capitol Corridor arrived at 7:00 AM and still no sign of my colleague. Once seated I called him to hear that he had overslept. Strangely this didn't bother me as I secretly cherished the idea of travelling alone!
We reached Sacramento at the precise time (9:30 AM). The Amtrak bus stand adjoins the railway station and I had no difficulty in spotting the bus. The bus had few travellers but a lively driver. As is usual I dozzed off as soon we were aborad. The bus journey took 3 hours along a winding highway. The first stop (a few miles before South Lake Tahoe) saw almost all passengers get down except me. These passengers were mostly campers who take the weekend off for camping along the numerous mountains in Lake Tahoe. I had an opertunity for a casual chit chat with the driver during our lonely ride to South Lake Tahoe. The driver rues about the poor marketing strategy of Amtrak management in not attracting the public from using a cheaper public transportation. He blamed the californians free/liberal mentality which drove them to do things independently (like driving a car all alone from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe). He also suggested that I take a trip to Eureka mountains and rent a log cabin in the woods. Eureka according to him had great redwoods and was quite scenic. (One of my clients later put down that spot as "Not so great"). I got down at the Stateline transit center in South Lake Tahoe. Stateline denotes a road that seperates 2 states viz. California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe lies partly in these 2 states. While California is green and scenic Nevada is more of a desert. Nevada has casinos while California doesn't (Las Vegas, the famous casino city lies in Nevada). My first stop was at the visitor center that lies close to the stateline transit center to know more about Lake Tahoe. With a helpful host I was able to get more details on Lake tahoe including maps and brochures on must see spots. I decided to check into my hotel which lies on the stateline for a quick stopover. When I reached the reception, I was surprised to see portraits of Shirdi Sai Baba plastered all over the walls and it turned out that the hotel was owned by an Indian family. After pleasantaries I checked into my room. The room was not plush but comfortable for a overnight stay. I was feeling hungry and with directions for an indian restaurant (courtesy of the hotel help desk) I decided to walk 1.5 miles for a sumptous lunch. But after a few minutes, I thought I had lost my way as there was no sign of the restaurant. So I decided to make my way back to the Stateline and go to a Subway instead.
Lake Tahoe has a Gondola (rope car) ride that takes you 10,000 feet above sea level over treachorous slopes to a fantastic view of the lake. The Gondola ride was fascinating and it gives a great view of the surrounding sierra mountains. Some of these mountains are snow capped and are a treat to watch. The rope car's first stop was at a mesh deck which was situated at 10,000 feet for a picturesque view of the lake and the mountains. I spent sometime wandering around the deck peeping through telescopes (I could spot a helicopter upclose but failed to see that with a naked eye). The next stop was a little further where the Gondola drops you to hike around or take other rides (most of these other rides were deserted and closed). I had well around 1 hour to take a hike as I had planned to take a catamaran ride (starting at 3:40 PM) around Lake Tahoe. There were various trails ranging with varying levels of diffculty. I decided to take the trail that would lead me to the StageCoach. After hiking for a few minutes and taking countless diversions (all along the route there were plenty of rope car rides that were deserted), I decided to return back. There were clear signs pointing to the Gondola all along but these became confusing after a short while as the signs became contradictory. They would point point to one direction and after a few meteres in another direction though you might be travelling on a plain straight trail (atleast they appeared to confuse me). After sometime I reached a point which appeared a few feet below the Gondola station and appeared to have lost my way. There was a motely crowd of youngsters hiking their way down and I asked them if they knew how I can reach the Gondola Station. They pointed to a spot a long way up and I felt dizzy at the thought of covering the distance. Time was fast ticking by for the catamaran ride and I had hardly 10 minutes to catch the Gondola back to South Lake Tahoe. I started climbing fast but started panting after a few minutes. I could climb no futher and my head started spinning. I wanted to rest but time was of essence. With great difficulty I pushed myself harder. At this point I passed a bunch of hikers (who appeared Oriental). As I passed them they remarked "You are so fast". I didn't understand. I looked back and asked them what they meant. They said that they had passed me uphill while I was climbing down sometime back but was fast to catch them uphill (I never remembered passing them). I thanked them and reasoned that I was late for a catamaran ride. I waved them goodbye and said "Catch you later". They waved back remarking "We will never catch you, you are too fast for us". Buoyed by their compliments I started walking fast but started noticing that I was well past the time. Disheartened I began to trek at a leisurely pace. My mind was occupied on the next course all through my way down the Gondola ride. At the Gondola station I sat down to plan on what to do next. Lake Tahoe has a few companies that offer cruises along the lake. Most of these start from Zephyr Cove resort. The Zephyr cove restort is 4 miles from the Stateline. I zoomed in one such company that offers a catamaran sunset ride around Lake Tahoe for 2 hours. The tour starts at 6:00 PM and ends around 8:00. To reach Zephyr Cove one has to take a cab or use the not so frequent blue line public buses. I decided to opt for the public transport. The boarding point was at the Stateline Transit Center. I waited at the transit center for an hour before the bus turned up. The bus was more like a mini van and hardly had a passenger (no wonder the town offers less public transport). The 4 mile ride took 15 minutes and I was dropped at the Zephyr cove. I purchased tickets for the catamaran ride and waited anxiously to board the boat. After a few minutes wait, we were cheerfully welcomed aboard by a genial crew
The catamaran was infact a trimaran. It had 3 hulls. Though it had a inner deck where seats were avialble, the top deck had beds and quilts for passengers to sit/lie and relax and view the sunset. I lay down on a sleeping bag on the open deck with a sweeping view of the lake. Near me were a bunch of ladies chattering and jabbering all the way. One of them confronted me and engaged in a pep talk. They were curious to know where I was from and what took me to the Lake Tahoe. After the initial niceties, It was my turn to pepper them with questions. The ladies were obviously touring as a group to "escape from their husbands" (sic). They were from texas and were buddies for long. When I quizzed them as to what attractions/places texas had, prompt came the reply "Nothing". "It has only cowboys"!!
Leaving the ladies, I wandered all along the deck watching people sip Champagne. The boat was serving complementary champagne. I have watched champagne corks being popped and the froth sprayed in sports events like Formula 1 but haven't see the drink upclose. What was it like to taste champagne? I have heard that champagne was one of the costliest drinks. Thinking of all this made me wonder if I can taste one. What happens if it has high alcoholic content? Will it make me cringe and puke? I was still in half minds but what the hell it would never cost me to taste one (after all it is complementary). I went to deck downstairs and ordered a champagne. Only when I sipped did I realise that it was infact a sweet wine. I took my position on the sleeping bag and began to sip champagne watching the sunset over the beautiful lake. Lake Tahoe is over 1600 feet deep and doesn't freeze in the winter due to a convection mechanism (the lake absorbs heat during the day and radiates it during the night). The Lake was formed due to a volcanic activity millions of years ago. Lake Tahoe has crystal clear water and bottom of the lake can be viewed for a few miles from the shore. The lake stretches for around 73 miles and is situated across California and Nevada states. One of the most scenic spots along the lake is Emerald bay. It is a narrow stretch of water along a valley. It was most relaxing to sip champagne and watch sunset over the lake. With time it was getting colder and my jacket was not aiding my cause. I began to shiver and had to go downstairs to the warm deck for a while. But soon I was on my feet again and started taking rounds around the upper deck. I saw the captain and the first mate sterring the ship and engaged them with questions on Lake Tahoe and their adventures. The first mate was very forthcoming with his suggestions on which casions I should visit. It was getting increasing cold and I thanked the stars when I see the shore on the horizon. I didn't have to wait longer as we reached shore around 8:00 PM. I walked out waving a goodbye to the texas ladies and wondering how to get back to my hotel. Before coming to Zephyr Cove I had checked the bus schedule and found that there was a bus to Stateline from Zephyr Cove around 9:00 PM. But the crowd was thinning fast and within a matter a few minutes I was the only one left in the resort. It was extremly cold and dark and I was getting worried. Fortunately for me there was a gentleman sweeping the floors of a closed restaurant whom I could view from the closed glass doors. I signalled to him if he knew where I could get a cab. I was not sure if I could convey those words by signs. But fortunately for me, he understood and opened the doors to give the number of the cab company. Thankfully the cab arrived in 10 minutes after my call. I requested the friendly driver to take me to an Indian restaurant. He suggested a few and came up with his own choices. "You know this restaurant doesn't serve sag paneer. That restaurant does serve a good biryani....." Finally he threw the name of "Taj Mahal" restaurant which was near the Stateline (This was the same restaurant I had gone in serach of in the afternoon). He called the restaurant and booked a table for me. So kind of him. I thanked him with a generous tip. After a sumptous dinner, I walked all the way to the stateline. As mentioned earlier, the stateline seperates 2 states viz. California and Nevada. Nevada has a thriving casino industry which meant that the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe had plenty of casinos. The most famous among these were Hurrah's, Harvey's and Mont Blanc. I decided to take a look at the casinos. My first stop was at Mont Blanc. The casino was so huge and there were plenty of games all around. I took a trip around the floor watching curiously the card games, the roulettes etal. Though I was not interested in playing any myself, I was content to watch the games from behind. I visited Hurrah's and Harvey's and took in the mamoth games floor. There were hundreds of customers huddled around slot machines, roulettes and various computer terminals concentrating hard on the outcomes but I could never spot a happy face (probably most of them were losing!!). After a tiring day, I retired to my hotel for a much needed rest and looked forward to the next day......
posted by Prakash at
2:33 PM
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