Tracking Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Portfolio - Q3 2013 Update

Below is a spreadsheet that highlights Warren Buffett's moves this quarter. Please check-out our SeekingAlpha column for an analysis of the moves:






To learn more about how to profit from a strategy of following the best hedge fund picks, check out our book Profiting from Hedge Funds: Winning Strategies for the Little Guy .




Tracking Seth Klarman's Baupost Group Holdings - Q3 2013 Update

Below is a spreadsheet that highlights Seth Klarman's moves this quarter. Please check-out our SeekingAlpha column for an analysis of the moves:



To learn more about how to profit from a strategy of following the best hedge fund picks, check out our book Profiting from Hedge Funds: Winning Strategies for the Little Guy .

Tracking David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital Portfolio - Q3 2013 Update

Below is a spreadsheet that highlights David Einhorn's moves this quarter. Please check-out our SeekingAlpha column for an analysis of the moves:



To learn more about how to profit from a strategy of following the best hedge fund picks, check out our book Profiting from Hedge Funds: Winning Strategies for the Little Guy .

 

Short Trips from Kodaikanal

There are a number of short-trips one can plan while staying in Kodaikanal. Below are the most popular options:

Berijam Lake: This is a protected area around 25KM from Kodaikanal. For access to Berijam Lake, one has to get a permit the previous day from the Forest Department Office (on the left as you approach Kodaikanal on Laws Ghat Road around 3KM before 7-roads junction). To get there, continue on Golf Club Road and onto Berijam Lake Road. Good spots to stop on the way include Silent Valley and Caps Fly Valley - the views are just wonderful from these locations. On the way, there is also a slight detour to ‘Berijam Lake View’ - the location provides a sweeping view of the lake from up above. Once there, there is a short 0.5KM walk to the lake per se, which has a perimeter of over 20KM during the wet season.

Note: as it is a protected forest, there is a return cut-off of 4PM and so one has to plan accordingly. Latest entry is 12 noon. The permit itself is issued at the office (see above) between 8:30AM and 10AM all days except Sundays.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple: Madurai is about 115KM from Kodaikanal and the first 50KM is Ghat Road which can slow you down. Even so, as most visitors go to Madurai for the Meenakshi Temple, rather than spending overnight in Madurai, an alternative is to do a day-trip from Kodaikanal. Under normal traffic conditions, the trip takes about three hours one-way. As the temple is in the middle of the city, the area around it is always crowded and using one of the valet parking lots around is the best option (the Kirtilal lot next to it is Rs 50). Entrance to the temple is free although there are a variety of special passes and such to gain access to certain areas. Also, no sandals or CAMERA - there is a security service for cameras for Rs 10 and for the general locker (for sandals), the fee is at your discretion. There is a museum called the thousand-pillar museum inside (entrance is Rs 5). Also, on the other side of the road at the exit is the 100-pillar Mandapam area, which is a good shopping spot - quality is lax, but saris, churidhars, shorts, etc can be bought very cheaply there.

Bear Shola Falls, Rat Tail Falls (aka Thalaiyar Falls) & Silver Cascade Falls: Bear Shola Falls is close to Kodaikanal town area, although the other two falls may be more accessible as they are on the way when coming to Kodaikanal through Ghat Road. To get to Bear Shola Falls, go on Law’s Ghat Road onto Observatory Road, and right onto Bear Shola Road (around 3KM total) - once you get there, there is a short hike to the falls. The area around the falls is very beautiful but the falls dry out during the summer - so, if you want to see the actual falls, go during the wet season. When taking the Ghat Road turnout from Dindigul-Theni Highway, Rat Tail Falls come first at around the 20KM mark and Silver Cascade Falls (formed from the outflow of Kodaikanal Lake) is closer to Kodaikanal town.


Green Valley View (previously “Suicide Point”), Pillar Rocks & Guna Caves (previously “Devil’s Kitchen”): These three attractions are on the same road within 8KM of Kodaikanal town center. To get there from the Lake, take Upper Shola/Lake Road and continue South on Pillar Rocks Road. Green Valley View or Suicide Point borders Kodaikanal Golf Club and is at around the 5KM marker from the town. The place is frequently foggy but the good news is that it can quickly clear as well. The valley below provides a fantastic view and on a clear day, one can spot the Vaigai Dam. About 2KM West on the same road past the Golf Club is Pillar Rocks. There is a small entry fee of Rs 2 per person, parking is a mess and there are a lot of street vendors. There is a small park along with the valley view. Here again, the mist can be a problem, but even if the view of the pillars is fogged out, waiting for ten minutes or so usually yields a clear if transient view. Guna Caves (click for photos) or Devil’s Kitchen (click for video) is physically on Pillar Rocks (the caves are the chambers between the pillar rocks with dangerous openings into ravines)- to get to the access point, drive a little bit further. The site is now cordoned-off as several lives were lost every year due to the dangerous nature of the terrain there - there is no escape, if you slip and fall.

Chettiar Park & Kurunji Andavar Temple: Chettiar Park is a smallish park maintained by the horticultural department on the way to Kurunji Andavar Temple. It is a terraced garden park and the entrance is Rs 30. The temple is a Murugan Temple constructed by a European lady in 1936. It is on a hill and provides sweeping views of the Palani Hills on one side and the town-areas on the other. As the name implies, the temple is also known for the Kurunji flowers which blossom once in 12 years (next blossom should be 2018).


For hikers there are a number of options near Kodaikanal. They include Perumal Peak (a two-hour hike in the Ghat region to a wonderful panoramic spot - around 12KM from the city at Perumal Malai), Dolmen Circle (three rocks from the Stone Age era - near Pannaikadu, around 30KM from Kodaikanal off Ghat Road), Kakkal Caves (around 28KM from Kodaikanal via Observatory Road, Poombarai Road, and Kookal Dam Road), and to cap it all “the 80-mile round” (three-day trekking trail). One needs to be in good physical shape, get permission from the Forest Department, and ideally use the services of an expert local trekking guide to enjoy any of these.

The Solar Observatory (Fridays only off-season) on Observatory Road about 6KM from town center and Shembaganur Museum of Natural History (aka Sacred Heart College Museum - Tuesdays off - 10AM to 11:30AM and 3PM to 5PM) also around 6KM from town center (it is on the way when coming to Kodai from Ghat Road) are good options for people interested in those areas.


Related Posts:

  1. Kodaikanal Trip Report. 
  2. Short Trips From Kodaikanal. 


Last Updated: 01/2014. 

Cochin International Half Marathon 2013 - A maiden gala event at Kochi

Kochi hosted its maiden Half Marathon on December 29, 2013. The experience from the mini-marathon conducted in 2011 helped make this a hugely successful event for the city and its people. Runners in general, were somewhat skeptical about Cochin International Half Marathon 2013 due to a number of factors, chief among them being the event was organized by the city as opposed to a runners group - the local runners figured it would be used to showcase politicians and celebrities as opposed to promoting running as a lifestyle change for the general public. The city silenced all its critics by pulling off a highly professional event - most parts were outsourced to the best organizations available and that probably helped.

Having participated in the half marathon event, below are some observations:

Good: 
  1. Entry on the Marathon Day: The main-gate to Maharajah's ground was opened only slightly for some weird reason. This resulted in a stampede atmosphere in the adjacent street (Hospital Road) and the main entrance area. Policemen manned the area and the gates and they continued to keep the gates half closed despite the mad-rush of the participants to get inside. This was the one real red-flag in the entire event. Once past the half-opened gates, the race categories as well as the age-category pens were marked well that getting to the correct slot was not a problem. Also, it was heart-warming to see dignitaries such as Rishi Raj Singh waiting in the pen just like the others for the start - no special treatment at all and there were a bunch of folks from the transportation department with him (Rishi Raj Singh finished the race in 2:52 (bib number 7144) - unfortunately, an emergency angioplasty was done soon after following chest pain). The presence of the 2000-strong navy crew across the half-marathon and 7K events was a wonderful sight. They encouraged the runners too during the race!
  2. Warm-up Drills: A professional warm-up crew was on the stage from around 5:15AM to 6:15AM and they kept the runners entertained. The warm-up drills were hard to follow as the category-pens were crowded. Not a surprise, given the participation of over 8000 people.
  3. Water, Sponge, Electrolytes, Refreshments, Goodies, Medical Support, and Restrooms:  Water was plentiful  throughout the course. It was distributed roughly at the rate of one per kilometer. Water-sponges and electrolytes were distributed only twice. Medical support was not a problem as they had temporary facilities both at the start-point and at a few locations on the course. Green Kochi initiative however  took a back-seat during the event - plastic bottles and no proper disposal areas. Goodies were missing too - the bib-packet consisted of just the bib, timing chip, and safety pins - an option to purchase a marathon themed T-shirt would have been good. Refreshments at the end of the event consisted of a bun and juice but they ran out of them half way through the event - there was no verification at all in the medals and refreshments distribution-area and that probably contributed to the problem. Alas, no restroom facility either.

Better: 

  1. Registration: Registration opened just six weeks before the race day. Online registration was the best option as it was very smooth. The option to register manually through Muthoot branches was less than perfect as many ended up waiting a long time during bib collection - some manual verification of proper registration was involved, thus delaying the process.
  2. Bib Delivery Process: The bib collection center at Maharajah's ground was open on the 26th, 27th or 28th. Participants had to show ID proof in original and registration confirmation email. Starting trouble was there on the first day and those who arrived first to collect the bib had to wait upwards of 30-minutes. From then on, the process went relatively smooth.
  3. Marathon Route, Start-times, Cheer-leading, etc: The marathon route was completely flat except for the short climbs to cross the two bridges from Ernakulam  to Mattanchery through Wellington Island. Although the route itself did not go through any of the touristy areas, the heritage nature of the place was easy for anyone to recognize. The start-times for the races were announced somewhat late. Organizers officially announced 6:15AM as the start time for the half-marathon and 6:45AM for the 7K fun-run just a week prior to the event - apparently, there was pressure to make it a late start to make it convenient for celebrities and other dignitaries but sanity won-out in the end. The organizers had plans for a parallel competition for the cheer-leading crews that could independently register but apparently there were few takers. Good 'chendamelam' and such were there in the Mattanchery area and though the rest of the course lacked group events the locals that flagged on either-side of the entire route more than compensated for this by their enthusiastic response.

Best: 

  1. Participation Fee: The organizers managed to keep the entry fee extremely low compared to other well-known marathons in the country - the entry fee for the half-marathon was Rs 200 and for the 7K fun-run was Rs 100. This is compared to an average of well over Rs 1000 for other international marathons in India. Not only that, subsidized registrations were offered to under-privileged groups. 
  2.  Prize Money: For a maiden effort, the overall prize money at over Rs 25L was comparable to the prize monies offered by the best races in the country. The age-wise and gender-wise categorization with separate prize monies for Indians ensured the race gave something to celebrate for the locals, even-though their best efforts may not equal the best in the world. Further, equal prize money for men and women was another positive factor. Although, the winners check of $5K was low compared to international standards, the event still attracted some of the best athletes ranked within the top ten in the world.
  3. Course Logistics: The marathon route was in pristine condition on the day of the marathon. Runners especially appreciated the lack of potholes and traffic on the course. Also, the timing chip transfixed on the body-side of the bib and the timing mats functioned well - the mat locations were easy for the runners to recognize as well. Within two hours of the run, the official results became available online. The finish-point was well-organized although the area became very crowded over time. The open and elite winners were announced at the main stage but some of the other category winners did not get to stand on the podium following some confusion about the official timings

Related Posts: 

  1.  Two international marathon events in the same year (2014) in Kochi - Experience - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
    Last Updated: 12/2014.

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