கொடைக்கானல் (Kodaikanal)

Sometime in May 2005, sitting beside the Silver Cascade waterfalls in Kodaikanal, this was one of the first poems that I'd tried to write in classical தமிழ்! With all due apologies to the stalwarts of the 'Language', I dedicate this one to the teachers in School who taught me தமிழ், which was once a 'subject' I hated the most!

அகிலி னங்கள் சூழ்ந்த மலையை
முகிலி னங்கள் மூடும் - வெட்பத்
திகிலி னங்கள் மறந்த உடல்கள்
துகிலி னங்கள் சூடும்!

கோடைக் காலம் ஆனால் என்ன
வாடைக் காற்றும் வீசும் - இந்த
நாடை அதனின் அழகைப் போற்றி
ஓடை ஒலிகள் பேசும்!

ஏரி அருவி அதனில் உள்ள
நீரின் துளிகள் பறக்கும் - இங்கு
நாரி இருக்கும் மலர்கள் கூட்டம்
ஊரி லெல்லாம் இருக்கும்!

கானல் என்னும் போதில் சொல்வர்
காணும் பொழுதில் மறையும் - கொடைக்
கானல் என்று சொல்லும் பொது
காணாமலும் இனிக்கும்!!

நினைவில் காணாமலும் இனிக்கும்!!!

My Trip to Hampi

Hey you all! So happy to have started blogging after a year-long sabbatical.

It was just another lazy afternoon, almost a year ago, in the days of the email responses and business communication etiquette training when Loveena popped out of nowhere and asked if I was coming to Hampi. I had to good reasons to give an instantaneous positive response at that time - there was a conference room called Hampi in our old office from where we could work without any disturbance, and there was a hotel near our church called Hampi and we were trying out on every possible hotel in Hyderabad.



However, my joy increased multi-fold when I knew the details-we were planning on a trip to the place that actually inspired both these names. Yes!!! HAMPI!!! It was planned in a jiffy. We booked tickets and were to board a bus from the Koti MGBS (The Hyderabad's Koyambedu equivalent) and the return journey from Hospet to Secunderabad. The accommodation in Hampi was booked at Shanti Resorts and that too with only a confirmation through phone. Things were happening too fast and it was too good to believe!!

The day had come!! We boarded our cabs to the bus station and boarded a bus that was too much on contrary to the usual luxury-Volvos that we used to shuttle from Hyderabad to Chennai. It was a pleasant journey and I got the first glimpse of the Shamshabad airport at that time. It was a nice journey because I had seen for myself the endurance that I had developed over the ages, to overcome any kind of environment for sleeping. While all the lassies who came with me were struggling to sleep, I just dozed off on the so-called push-back seat.

We reached Hospet at three in the morning. The place was so odd and we were welcomed by a pack of auto drivers who were ready to take us to Hampi. It was a ride of a life through the forests and the cold air hitting straight on our faces and all said, it was fun too. We reached Hampi while it was still dark. We all checked in at probably the only open guest-house we could find, left our luggages and refreshed ourselves.

Then we set out to begin our adventure on the unknown land, with the little amount of Kannada that Sunanda knew. We had piping, hot coffee in the morning in one of those platform shops. The best moment came when we were questioned by the local cops about our whereabouts and stuff like that. And believe me, that was the best moment because those cops gave us the information that there will not be boats until ten in the morning to cross the river, and that there is a hill called Mathanga Hill from where we can get a nice glimpse of the sunrise. And that pulled the trigger!!!

We all were set on our way to this Mathanga Hill. And finally we found a hillock after some inquiries and then started climbing the hill through the stairs. It was tiring and exciting and with brief photo-clicking sessions and a short break in between, we reached the cliff...and what a magnificent and picturesque sight it was!!! The whole ruins of the fabled Vijayanagar Kingdom was there before our eyes. Also, to add to it, the curves of the Tungabhadra river, the chirps of the birds and the subtle sound of water rushing along, were the highlights of the moment. True to th words: If dreams were made of stones, then it would be none but Hampi.

After spending half-an-hour on the hill, we headed for the foot. All were already hungry and could not wait to fill our stomachs. We went to a roadside shop and had bread omelets. Both the quality and cost were higher than expected. With our stomachs full, we went back to our temporary asylum, packed our things and set to Shanti Resorts, which was on the other side of Tungabhadra River. A pleasant ride on the boat and we were there at Shanti Resorts.

I must now digress a bit to tell about the resort. This was one of the most beautiful places I have ever halted in a tour. Overlooking the green fields irrigated by the rich waters of Tungabhadra, this guest house had cute little cottages and all facilities one could ask for.

We had booked two cottages in the resort, one opposite to the other. We thought we could laze around for the day rather than tire ourselves after the night journey and the brisk morning trek. After a sumptuous brunch, we ventured in to the city and made a brief study of what to buy and where to buy. It was then we heard about the restaurant 'The Mango Tree,' which was built around a huge mango tree, in a very natural atmosphere. we decided that no matter what, we will be visiting the restaurant.

We retired to our rooms for dinner and we were offered an Iranian couch for dinner in one of their luxury dining halls. It had majestic diwans donned with the fabrics of finest art work. And the best part - prices were the same. There was an old 29 inch TV and we thought we could watch some movie. We asked the people around about the available movies, hoping we could watch some kinds 'Sholay' or 'Yaadon ki Baraat.' Actually I am glad that we did not step out of that 1970s confinement - We were all startled to hear that one among the available movies was 'Om Shanti Om' - it was relatively new then. We watched the movie, munching on the strangest kebabs that we have ever had. A sumptuous meal, and then we were off to bed.

Next day we woke up, gulped some quick breakfast, crossed the river and were planning on means of commutation, when Shobha got the enlightenment that all were running out of cash. We had no other go but to get an auto to the nearest town with an ATM - Hospet. We got an auto and we went to the Hospet SBI ATM, drew some sufficient cash and we were on our way back to Hampi. I casually struck a random conversation with the auto-driver and by some weird magic, he consented to take us around Hampi.

The auto was not the ordinary one - it was as big as share auto and everyone had sufficient space to sit comfortably. It was a blue moon that everyone consented to go by that auto. We felt like rulers of the land - when everyone was in a two-wheeler or a car, we were the odd people to have that class of distinction.

We saw the places that I swear, are the best possible things that could be fashioned out of stones - the stepped pond, the temples, the musical pillars, the Queen's bath and the single-stone chariot. After a quick but careful visit to the places around, we retired to our rooms. Not much to describe about this night - luxury in stay was becoming usual! the next day, we packed our bags as fast as we can, crossed the river, did some quick shopping and were preparing to go to this restaurant called the Mango Tree.

Mango Tree - A weird name for a restaurant. But when we went in through the paths in the abandoned fields, we entered this weird looking place. It only took moments for that 'weirdness' to disappear for what was in there was the most spectacular (Shobzz! No pun intended!) restaurant housed in a completely natural ambiance. At the base of a colossal mango tree was a backrest-table king of a cement structuring. There was a swing tied to one of the branches and overlooking the virgin valley of the Tungabhadra River. The food, I should accept, was not worth the hype but the place and time that we spent are alone worth the price that we paid.

We packed some stuff and left for Hospet. We reached the station and we left the auto. The total cost for the auto from the day we started using it was just 600 bucks. Ok! ok! relax!! It was too good to believe but still we had the best mode of transport. We boarded the train and with so many sweet and some bitter memories, we were back in Hyderabad.

This trip to Hampi was very eventful and memorable because of the following reasons and learnings:

1) This was the first trip planned within us without an organizational involvement.
2) This is a trip when I learned that I was tested under tough conditions of travel and stay. Now everything was easy for me.
3) Cost has got nothing to do with comfort and happiness in a tour. It's just the gang with you that matters.
4) Never to judge a hotel or a resort by its looks, website or visiting card.
5) Ladies are not ladies always. :P
6) Good things don't come with a herald. You just have to be ready when it happens to take it, not minding the probable chaos it might cause.
7) Everything is nice when planned but bot everything that is nice, is planned.
8) Be prepared for adventure. It can happen on a boat, or in the hotel, or on a train.

and the best: Loveena, Shobha, Lekshmy and Sunanda make nice travel companions... and the memories of this tour will forever stand as a testimony to this wonderful tour I had been on.

After Matheran, it's Khandala.

This time, the Hydooglers Adventure Club Trip was targeting Khandala. Thanks to Aamir Khan in Ghulam, this place is not so unknown as Matheran. This trip did not trigger much excitement as the previous. However, this trip proved to be a real adventure trip.
The man who made it possible was Suresh of Google Concierge. Instead of canceling 10 tickets and retaining 45, he did the other way. This was turning out to be really exciting...four in a seat. Luckily, some were generous to move to the General coach and freed a little space for us. Even then it would not help much. Myself, Lakshmy aka The Quantum Queen, Loveena, Hari Parishe, Tasneem Calcuttawala and Shobha Raman were confined to a single seat.
Time and the train were moving. Soon, the ladies in the General compartment began pouring into our coach. The result was that I had to part with a quarter of a seat that I possessed then. I was pitying myself when I got down from my seat and was surprised to see Loveena and Hari (despite his knee pain) on the floor. I sat on the lower berth, leaning a little forward. I managed to get some rest in that position.
The train wheels came to a halt at Lonavala (never ask either Shobha or Vikram how to pronounce it) and we took our bags to get into, or rather pack ourselves into a Swaraj Mazda. We were supposed to stay at Rainbow Resorts. It was so picturesque and near to the fabled Mumbai Pune Expressway.

We left our bags in our room (not rooms), refreshed ourselves and were ready by ten to set out for the real adventures. The first spot was the Big Z waterfalls at Khandala. The waterfall was will hidden in the bushes and we had to make our way through thick greenery that grew on slippery paths that went winding through the crevices and the gaps between tree trunks. We could hear the loud hush of water falling on the rocks. Our excitement was intensifying with the sound (remember the inverse-square laws?)
On clearing some bushes, we were surprised to see droplets of water fly as a misty cloud and kiss our face. We could not resist getting drenched and we hopped into the water only to get banged on our backs by the heavy blobs that were falling from such a great height. We waded through the flow to explore the 'other side' of the waterfall which was rather calm and more like a natural swimming pool. After spending some peaceful, funny (hitting waters on each other) and thrilling (Tasneem almost drowned and Gowtham saved her), we had our lunch at some Gujrati hotel. The taste was enough to satisfy our hunger (Our Kaiyaendhi Bhavan's are far better...believe me..) but the best part in that hotel was the hotel backyard. I do not want to say much. The pic says it all.

From there we left for our rooms, changed and set on a dull-mood trip to Aamby Valley City. However, our mood changed when we reached there. Now, I know why the Indian Cricket team, Anna Kournikova and Richard Gere have their house in that beautiful place. The place even has a private-jet runway.
It was thriller-time again then. Our dear Swaraj Mazda was void of diesel, in the middle of the road... amid the pitch darkness. What a wonderful moment it was!! After the arrival o the rescue-party, we went back to our rooms and came out in a little while, for the camp-fire. We came back to the rooms after the camp-fire after some fun, fight, and photographs, we want to our rooms to get our share of sleep.
We got up pretty late the next morning. One among Lakshmy's many (read: a million) friends, one happened to come over there. We left Lakshmy in the resort and left for the caves, which were some ten kilometers form the resort. I was in the van and the van had already left before Loveena, Harikanth, Tasneem and Shobha could make it. I made friends with a dog which was near the cave and spent time with that creature until they arrived there by an auto. Our tour party was already coming down when we were starting our way up, but that would, in no way, stop is from seeing the place fully.
The place was absolutely spectacular. Mukesh Ambani could give all the riches he has, but can never get a place to stay, like those Buddhist monks have. A waterfall which is like a curtain to the rocky main door, and stairways leading to rooms which have windows opening the view to the mountainous grandeur. After taking a few snaps there, we came back to the resort and spent a few moments packing stuff there and spending some time in the swings and slides, we went to shop at Lonavala for chikkis. After a heavvvvy™ lunch, we went to the station to board the train..
The train journey was full of drama and tension-there was an unclaimed baggage in our compartment ans it was, as usual, suspected to be a bomb. However, it was found that it belonged to an innocent, old man.
The best part of the journey was that, I played dumb-charades on the train. This happened after a long time and I was lost in nostalgic moments of those college days. After playing on some seventy-odd films, we went to sleep (and each one was able to sleep on one berth each). We reached Hyderabad the next morning after all those adventures and fun and the unforgettable train journey which proved that space is not a constraint for any adventure or fun.

Matheran

It was August 3rd. The spirits were high in me for it was the day the Hydooglers Adventure Club had planned on a two-day adventure trip to Matheran.
Matheran is not so much known. It is in the state of Maharashtra and the smallest hill-station in India where even bicycles are not allowed for transportation. For further details, check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matheran
We left the office as early as 1315 hrs and took a cab to the Begumpet station and boarded to Husain Sagar Express after a tiring yet enjoyable wait of on hour or so. Our excitement was intensifying as the train wheels were beginning to gain pace. We kept ourselves happy by playing strange games and also dumb-charades. Soon it was dusk and though the sun went to rest, we did not. After the usual berth arrangement confusion that happens in all tours, we settled down for a short sleep for we were to get up by three thirty in the morn the next day.
We began to radiate enthusiasm even before the sun did. We got tout to get a taxi-ride to Dasturi Point. It is the place which marks the beginning of the ecologically fragile territory.
Form there we took a walk of a lifetime...amidst the blessings from the nature Goddess herself-in the form of torrents of rain. It was almost forty five minutes from Dasturi Point.
Through the winding paths in the dark woods, we reached BrightLands, the resort we were to stay.
We had good breakfast and retired to our rooms. After a while, we set out to explore the hidden paradise on the Western Ghats. And what a spectacular scene it was!! The whole place is graced by waterfalls that have a silver-grey trickle of water, the clouds that bear a misty screen to protect the chastity of this serene land and the occasional chirps of birds that add a pleasant phrase to the grand symphony composed by God's genius.
Having had a goofd feast out there, we went back to our rooms to rest for the night. The next morning, we woke up, fresher than usual and also later than usual. We packed up our bags and left for Dasturi Point where we were to board our taxi.
There's something special about this ride. It was on a horseback. This was truly an amazing experience. After the jerky yet jouful ride, we reached Dasturi Point, we boarded the cab that took us to Kajrat station. We engaged ourselves during the journey, singing songs praising God for all the marvels he has created and for keeping us under his grace for us to see all this.
Karjat camre to us(relatively). We were told that Karjat is famous for Wada Pav and it was indeed. We had the most delicious Wada Pavs ever, better than what they give in our TGIF.
Everything was drawing near to the end. The whistling horns of Hyderabad Express came roaring through the chill in the air, heralding the end of the tour. We boarded the train again but with a spirit totally different to what we had a couple of days ago, for the same act.
The day was drowsing as the sun fell into its hilly loft. I knew that things will be the same old again. The day dawned and I was really happy to see Hyderabad again. We got back to our homes, refreshed ourselves and came to the office. I sat before my workstation visualising all what I saw a couple of days ago.
And I went back to ark comforting myself with a philosophy that Google which took me to Matheran and which also brought me back form there, has also given Picasa to recollect those memories in a more vivid manner.