Kudremukh - Paradise on Earth !!

When I packed my bag on a bright sunny Friday morning, little did I know what awaited me in the two days that followed. But then when I walked across those two days, they left a bright dazzling mark on me.

Yes, I am talking about my trip to Kudremukh last weekend. As typical Indians, we were a little too flexible with the time to set out. So it happened to be 10:30 pm instead of 9 pm when we set out of Bangalore - pick up point, infront of Accenture building. Oops, I forgot to mention, our dear old Santu Baba ( aka Santosh) was not to be seen. This fellow had been cribbing for the last two days about his health. But I bet he would have missed a lifetime's fun trip had he not come. So we gave in to his whining and picked him up infront of his house at Malleswaram and then set off with full spirits. The night in the bus was a mixture of some hilarious moments and some snoring sleepy moments as well. Our dearest Sheru ( aka Shilpa) had her spirits a little bit higher than the rest of the gang. She sang and entertained each one of us. Our central character Mayuri, who was on strict veg diet.. turned a sudden non-vegetarian at the odd hungry hours of the night. And if you noticed I called her being the central character, then you need to hang on just a bit more to know the reason why. Anyways, the night went on night and smooth except for the cold and snoring factor.

Morning was BEAUTIFUL..the road was awesome and the view was so spectacular that there are hardly any words to describe. We held on to our seats as the bus took turns at the creepy sharp bends. To our right was the deep valley which looked thousand of miles deep and to our left stood the strong mountains with little waterfalls at every odd nook. We also halted infront of a dam which has long been dry. Sounds of camera shots never ended till we reached the nature camp where we were supposed to be putting up. It was the first time for me in a forest and trust me, even if you do not talk there.. thousands of sounds of all different variety would come and fill in the air. As we moved in, we found 6 small tents named as different animals like Lion, Jackal, Otter etc and one pretty decent looking guest house. The word of the day got sealed that the BRAVE 9 boys would stay at the tents and the delicate darlings ( 7 of us) would stay at the guest house.

We soon unpacked and changed our clothes and ran to dive in the river. The guys were horribly irritating there splashing water as if they were sitting in a bath-tub. But none-the-less it was an amazing experience to be in that chilled water. It was crystal clear and we could actually see the river bed. I and Mayuri took up the burden of teaching Shilpa and Swati how to swim. Shilpa managed to do some gymnastics in the water..oops I meant she managed to swim a little and Swati decided to quit at the every first go. Our Santu darling was sick and hence took up the duty of clicking pics instead of swimming.



After that we set out for some sight seeing. I had never seen so much sight in my life that it nearly broke my legs and my ligaments. I meant the Hanumanagundi Waterfall that we went to see. We had to walk a 500 step down to see the nature's beauty, but the climb back up took the blood out of most of our face. But only after coming up did we understand how beautiful it was. After that we saw some more falls and scenic beauty and came back to our camp. The lunch was good but spicy. But then that is the kind of food available there. One thing that I skipped completely is the LEECH EPISODE. I do not know if you would find any other animal in Kudremukh, but one thing that you will find in abundance during monsoon is the LEECH. They come in all shapes and sizes, they creep on to your legs quietly and keep sucking you and you do not feel a pinch. That tiny monster sucks your blood enough and falls off by itself but the terror that looped in our group because of those silly centipedes is worth describing. Every 10 minutes you would hear some one or the else screaming that one of those slimy things have gotten on them. Our Brave Ramu Kaka , oops I mean santu .. no I mean Santosh would go and kill them and claim himself as the proud LEECH HUNTER.

In the evening we decided to play truth and dare. I often wish now, that we had not played that game for it brought in a lot of mixed reactions with it. However the daring people who dared were really daring - I must admit. Amit had to walk up in the dark, go to Sudhakar's tent and get pics of his jockey. Trust me it might sound funny now, but there in the forest with no lights and only creepy sounds, it takes a brave heart to walk out alone. Even Arunoday dared and succeeded. Kudos to all our Brave friends. I chose to speak the truth like most other weak hearts. Till date, I wonder, like my roomie say, "why do people actually speak the truth in a silly truth and dare game?". After that night encompassed us in its cold scary blanket and we slept away to glory.

Next morning was a day to remember when we had a hilarious family drama near the river. Mayuri, our central character was "ARUN KI MAA". Logically Arun becomes her son. Her ex and present husbands being Rishabh and Nikhil. Swati is her child and so on and so forth. With the photo link, you will get to learn more about their family tree. Hang on for that.

A Hundred Miles.....

Ever wondered what they call as Loneliness ? Ever been amidst it ? If not, you will hear from me a stranger version of the norm and if you have had a travel through it already, probably this will come in as a surprising new wave .

Dwelling more than 20 years of my life in a place they call home, where you have the warmth of your family blanketting you from the storms and the wild winds, I knew little about what waited for me beyond the safe shield. I was reared up in a place where as many time I stumbled, I found a minimum of a dozen hands helping me getting up. I know they loved me for I was the first child in the generation. I woke up in my mother's lap, played in the courtyard with grandma and aunts , slept in the arms of grandpa when tiredness and laze engulfed me much. Coming back from school I found eager faces waiting with a zeal to know what the little baby learnt in school today. Sundays were always given a special feel when they helped me venture out places of interest, places where there are plenty to learn, enough to add to joy !! Never in my life did they make me call out for help cause that was available in plenty. In an admixture of all these emotions I found myself growing up, knowing new people, having new friends, setting out on adventures which were wild beyond imagination.

That was just the beginning. Soon I came face to face with the fact that I knew all beyond the sphere of the knowledge about myself. It was quite a sudden affair that taught me the value of exploring my own self first before setting out to venture the world around. And when the moment came, I found I was as lonely a soul like a lost gull in the bay, even amidst all these happy members of the family. I knew how to fly, but not how to steer myself when the wind changed its direction. I knew where the food was , but not how to get it on my own accord. It was a shocking truth which hit me hard on my face. That was when I murmured a silent prayer and set a goal to curve out a niche for me and most importantly, by myself.

The day when I set out of my cosy little town, all I saw was tears for they loved me much to loosen the string that stiched our hearts. I was leaving behind a thousand emotion just to travel a hundred mile towards a life that challenged me in a million different way. Hope was one thing that brought in a surprising glue with itself and Belief was a supplement that came as a value addition. As I flew over the seas and roared across the mountains, I knew the joy I would fill him with by just being there. And that brought a happy curve on my face..they call it a smile. I knew this was my chance to make him happy and to spread the same curve on his face too. For me that was Life redefined !! And I knew I could make the others smile too in a fresh way. I knew I can make them a proud happy family.

And from where we left the thread of loneliness, we can hook it up with a new definition. It is like the same seagull hovering alone in the sea but now with a new found control of the steer wheels. It is a wonder discovering all the inate abilities, unfolding the hidden wings and realizing the 'I' in wInnIng.

The Journey Begins

It happens in every one's life probably, when he comes to a stage from where he cannot see what is there a few steps ahead. In a situation as tender as that, it is likely that he falters, stumbles and falls for it is dark as far as he can see. For me ,I had always been an ever hopeful soul. I have fallen down many a time, and hence I have quite mastered the art of knowing how to get up and gather courage to set a new goal. But there are times when experience ditches you in a big wild way. What is the walking stick then ? When the horizon seems to grey down and leaves no trace, when all that you have learnt simply fades away or even mocks at you, challenging you to take up the new yet interesting bait of life.

I still very often ponder how fate is shaped and why some people are always happy. Or is it just a facial gesture.I believe so.I asked an aged once, whether he regrets having done anything markedly wrong in life. The answer I got was amazing. He said, at an age of eighty he doesn't sit to judge what he had done was right or wrong. All he knew was, he has travelled an extraordinary journey, where you know not what your destination is. All you know is you have to take a course which has the least rocks on it. It is but natural that in an attempt to make the journey a smoother one, we often take a diversion which is not right ethically but which is just considering the gravity of the current situation. Hence it is foolish to regret having done something and it is wise just to reminisce the episodes with a smile on face.

I was greatly impressed with the advice the old heart had for me. I had decided to set out on a new journey called Life on that day. Here on you will read so many wild, stupid, exciting, dull, intriguing or commonplace tales. A tale that will have a bit of me in it. Wish you a happy journey with me ....Koyel .