“Every form of happiness is private. Our greatest moments are personal,
self-motivated, not to be touched".”- Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead)
“A SOUL-SEARCH? NOPE...”
“... They have this trip to Munnar and Thekkady for 4 days and 3 nights.. It’s amazing. I am
going to go...”- I said to my parents. My father was on the other side of the
phone and he asked, “Are you asking for our permission or informing us”? And I
said, “Informing you, of course...”! And thus started out the plan for the “Solo-Trip”!
Oh no! This trip was not planned out as a “soul-search”. I
could say that it turned out to be one- in the end. Like most trips of this
kind always do. The trip itself was cooking in my mind as some sort of – a deep
desire to go “off-track”. Yes- movies did play a major role in this plan. As a
child, parents warn you that what they show in movies is not real. But travel
movies have no unnatural elements in them. I have travelled a lot. But all my
travels have been with friends or family. And most of my travels with family
have been to “spiritual” places. I used to have this dream. I board a bus and
just “go”. There is no destination in mind- but I keep travelling. The one
movie that gave me the nudge I needed to take this trip was- “The Secret Life
of Walter Mitty”.
I booked my tickets. I got a travel agent to book my hotels
and car and I was all set!
“THERE HAD TO BE A PLAN”!
The trip was scheduled to begin on 26th July
2014. A train to Chennai and then a flight to Kochi. A car to pick me up at
Kochi- on the 27th of July. I was to reach Munnar and stay at my
hotel. Visit a “Tea garden/factory”. On 29th of July- I was to visit
the dams and other places around Munnar. On 30th July- take a trip
from Munnar to Thekkady. Stay at my hotel there. Watch a Kalari show in the
evening. A bit of shopping too. On 30th July- boating and “Jungle
Safari” at Periar Wild Life sanctuary at Thekkady. Check-out from hotel. Come
back to Kochi. Take a train back home from Ernakulam Junction.
Sounds simple enough!
“OF GHOSTS AND UNNIKRISHNAN...”
On 26th July- at 6:30 pm- my thoughts were
somewhere along the lines of- “What is wrong with me? How did I end up doing
this”?! But as I started packing- I realised that there was no ‘looking-back’. I’ve
just got to do this. The excitement began to mount slowly and by the time I
left home, it felt as though the world was mine!
Yet- the dark but familiar roads outside the brightly lit
railway station, felt safer. The tamarind and drumstick trees waved at me. Traditional
resting places of “ghosts”, who, my Paatti (Granny) often said would usually
possess girls who travelled alone- especially after sunset. I couldn’t help but
smile seeing them dancing to the tunes of the breeze... Alcohol induced Tamil
philosophical songs were playing in the local radio. Dhoti clad uncles were
busy shouting instructions from across the platforms. This lady- invited me to
sit beside her as I waited for my train. When I did- she asked me if I saw “Unnikrishnan”?
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| Cocooned Up! |
Apparently carnatic/play-back singer Unnikrishnan was travelling
by the same train. I told her that I did not see him. Within the next few
minutes- she had told me who she was, where she was travelling to and why etc.
I was glad that she did not ask even a single thing about me. I was so busy
trying to take in and delete all the data she kept pouring out- that I completely
forgot about Unnikrishnan! Later, once I had boarded the train, I felt that
seeing Unnikrishnan wouldn’t have been so bad after all! No extraordinary journey
is complete without getting a ‘glimpse’ of a celebrity. I thought of the Bengali
film “Nayak” by Sathyajit Ray where a famous actor travels in a train compartment
with a few other people!
Egmore station is a beautiful sight in the mornings. Strangers
yet- all have the same identity in there- “travellers”. As I was lost in thought- Unnikrishnan walked
past me. And at that moment I knew- this was going to be an extraordinary journey!
DISRUPTING ‘SOLACE’- A NOSTALGIA...
Hot Chips at Egmore- I learnt- serves the best coconut
chutney and “Pongal” during that time of the day. Coffee too was great. But still-
as an ardent “filter coffee” fanatic- I cannot just call any coffee good! I was
supposed to meet a friend- or rather- a “friend-philosopher-guide” at
Thirisulam station. Looking at the hill at Thirisulam reminded me of a friend
of mine with whom I once agreed to walk along to the top of the hill. Unfortunately-
people living up there were those who found solace in “open-defecation”! And
we, that day, disturbed the “solace” of many individuals!
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| Thirisulam Hill and Nostalgia- 27th July 2014 |
AN AUDIENCE AT A STRANGE PLAY...
After a long chat with my friend, I reached the Chennai
Airport. By this time- my excitement did not allow me to take in any more of
what was happening around me.
A long wait at the Chennai airport- and suddenly, I was at
Kochi!
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| Arrival at Kochi Airport- 27th July 2014 |
The strange place felt more familiar than any other place I’ve
ever lived! Perhaps it was because of the fact that I chose to go there. While the
other places I’d been to were not chosen by me. En route Munnar- I had to stop
at this road-side restaurant to have my lunch.
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| Weather played Hide and seek as I had my lunch- cue rain and cue sun! |
The rain and the sun were acting in a play scripted by the
clouds. “Cue Rain”- said the cloud and it rained. “Cue sun” it said- and he
popped up again! I had wanted to taste authentic Kerala cuisine- but had to
settle for the Tamil style lunch as they were out of Vegetarian Kerala food.
Meandering roads and constantly rising altitude were teasing
me. Eyes that hadn’t slept all night- begged me to rest them. But as we move
closer to Munnar- at every step, nature greets us! What a smile she has!
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| Nature greets you as you enter Munnar 27th july |
Finally-
at around 4:30 pm on 27th July 2014- I reached Munnar and checked
into my room.
“ SLEEP DWELL UPON THINE EYES”...
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| Tired as hell- but finally reached Munnar- Yippie- 27th july 2014 |
A room with a view!
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| You guessed it right! |
Finally, the sleep won me over and I had to take the fall!
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| Let me just sleep! |
That evening, I began to walk up the hill where my hotel was
located. I thought I could see the local bazaar and pick up something to take
along. But there was nothing located nearby except for a tea stall! Couldn’t
help it- but the rain, the mist, and the fact that the aroma from the tea stall
fit perfectly into the picture- that day- the 27th of July 2014., I
happened to have the most perfect “ginger” tea of my life so-far! The walk
through the wilderness was a bliss and the rain felt like a blessing from
heaven itself...
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| As I walk through the wilderness... |
After my dinner- I had the pleasure of sleeping in my room with
the wind and rain singing me a lullaby. The wind banged at my window and as I opened
it- rain came pouring in; splashing herself all over my face.
JAGO RE!
The morning was Peace.
As I was driven through the mystical hills of Munnar- I
couldn’t help but think that it’s not for nothing they call this place “God’s
own country”.
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| It is not called 'god's own country' for nothing-28th july 2014 |
Eravikulam National Park- is a place that ought to be
visited at least once in your lifetime!
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| Pink Umbrella! |
The clouds touched my feet as I walked through...
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| And all this while i thought clouds lived in the sky! |
Driver Anna told me that if I get to see at least one
Nilgiri Tahr – then I must consider myself lucky.
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| Nilgiri Tahr-28th july 2014 |
Endangered and endemic to Western Ghats they said. Animals,
languages, civilizations- one wishes that one does not hear of these getting
extinct. The language “Ahom” is not spoken anymore. And this happened during
our life time. On one hand- there’s Darwin and his theory of evolution speaking
about “survival of the fittest”. On the other hand- there’s a question of
preserving what one can preserve. All that a “clueless” “aam-aadmi” can do is-
at least be aware that things could become extinct if not used or preserved
wisely. Be it petrol/natural gas or rain water harvesting- one has the duty to
ask oneself what one is leaving behind for her children. And all this
conversation happened with a tea-vendor at the foothills of Eravikulam national
park! He was a Tamilian working in Kerala. He found out that I was Tamil and
asked me if I liked the place. When I told him that I absolutely loved it- he told
me- “Write about this place somewhere. Here, we don’t have pollution- noise
(they don’t use horn in the vehicles inside the national park- as it could
frighten the animals!), air or water. We don’t use plastics. We don’t disturb
the nature to suit our needs. We live with nature. But in your place- you have
converted all of the agricultural lands into multi-storeyed apartments. What
are you leaving behind for your children”? We can be intellectuals and
intelligent and earn enough in ten years that could last for a life-time. But
is our life-style- “environment- conscious”?
Trip through the tea plantation made me think- “I swear to
drink tea from now on... Goodbye Coffee”!
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| I swear to drink tea from now on... Goodbye Coffee! |
“Main aur meri Tanhai”
Mattupetty Dam- so beautiful and almost looked like an oil
painting!
This place definitely suits me!
I had just finished enjoying my steamed-hot-corn. The road
called on to me once again. Twisting and turning through the tough terrain-
hills overlooking the beautiful tea gardens, wild flowers of all colours and
hibiscus blooming all over the place- I couldn’t help but marvel at the effort
humans have taken to access the nature! People often say that one tends to feel
small in front of nature. Yet- I felt proud of this achievement as a human!
I reached the “Kundala Dam”. This place- I could never
forget in my life! Some of my best moments of solitude were spent here. The sky
touched the hills and hills- the river... I removed my shoes and let the cold
water touch my feet as I sat down. “Tranquillity”!
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| Kundala Dam- spent the best moments of solitude here... 28th july 2014 |
The place was full of trees that aspired to touch the skies
some day. Few poor horses had been trained to carry around people of all sizes
and shapes! If only there were no people. Just as the Earth- wild and untamed-
if only those horses could be free. Their blinkers- if only they could be thrown
away... Their human masters lured away- with prospects of better jobs... If
only those horses could run in the speed they wished to run in...
“I stand here on the
summit of the mountain. I lift my head and I spread my arms. This, my body and
spirit, this is the end of the quest. I wished to know the meaning of all
things. I am the meaning. I wished to find a warrant for being. I need no
warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and
the sanction. Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish.
I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a
sacrifice on their alters.”- Ayn Rand (Anthem)
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| And one day- I shall touch the skies! |
I came back to the hotel- my head and heart filled with
memories! That chair, that view and a hot cup of coffee- and I need no more...
To be continued...
