Publish Date 7th Jan 2008
W A Y A N A D N E W Y E A R – 2008
“A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway” — ??!!
As usual our planning started way back in September and Kubhi made my life simple by recommending Wayanad as the destination and queried one of his last visited resort. That’s how we got into this “Tea Tree Homes” home stay at Vythiri, Wayanad (Kerala).
Having my itinerary short & hectic I started to India on 26th Dec night. With a ambitious Australian Indian girl & a one working at Singapore, my 4 hours flight journey wasn’t that boring with my “book thief” book.
Next 2 days at my home town with lots of love and almost the same quantity of food made me to gain 2kgs; I feel.
29th Dec I headed to Bangalore; Welcome hugs, friendly smiles, quick chats, packing and scheduled tasks ate my day. Arun threw his birthday treat in the evening counting my presence at pizza hut. A special thanks.. 😉
From now on New Year Trip..
Team : Vijay, Vinoth, Bharathi Vinoth, Kubhi, Krish, Arun, Praveen, Dinesh, Selvakarthik, Senthil, Ramesh (Mr.Nari) and Raj (me)
When we returned from Pizza Hut, Vinoth & his wife (Bharathi Iyer) were waiting with a cold look 😉 With readymade excuses, we got into the tempo traveller. With Sony explode speakers and DVD players vehicle was fully loaded. Vinoth took a deep breath thinking “am saved”. ‘Coz, he booked it.
With 2 breaks we continued our pleasant journey towards Wayanad. It was not a tiring journey except some humps near the kerala border. Around 6:30 am on 30th Dec we reached the Home stay. It was quite neat to our expectations with beautiful tea estate surroundings. Generally we used to get into places where cellphone towers don’t find us. This time, we were lucky enough to be very near to the main road and connected well. Still, that didn’t affect homestay’s serenity. Fulfilling a short sleep debt, everybody resumed to the dining place after bath.
Just we noticed, it was well surrounded with Tea estates and ofcourse with December fog with its cold. Right after the breakfast homestay people suggested some site seeing placecs. Having very few (good) places, Wayamad made me to have limited plans. And it exactly fitted my “Leisure first, places next and no tourist places” theme. But surprisingly my guys shown interest for site seeing places and we started to “Pookot lake” having Sun above our heads. Eventhough its December its good to remember its Kerala!
POOKOT LATE
It was a small very small lake with lilies and pedel,rowing boats. Thinking of boring pedal boats, I opted for rowing boats. Other two teams got pedal boats and me got Rowing boat.. but with a rower (driver). With a hasty look, I accepted and expressed my wish to lend my hand to row. He allowed me and called me a bad driver shortly.. L I excused him as he isn’t aware of my kayaking skills. Hot Sun again, but don’t forget it would be beautiful in the evening which was my earlier plan. 😉 With photo sessions and a circle around the lake, it was the ‘end’. My BTM (Bangalore) lake trips were much better few times.. 😛 My brother was teasing the other one who pedalled with him for his lazy & exhausted pedalling. We could have decided nothing more there. Giving ear to Selvakarthik, we wanted to walk the circumference of the lake. Vinoth and Bharathi saved themselves by visiting a nearby Nursery. Horse dung stench pushed us to walk fast. We walked 2kms almost with all teasings, leg pullings and related. And our driver parked the TT after a 10 mins walk from the lake. Vinoth was eating Pakoda and called us to tell he got extra for us. …. …. ….
We went back to resort, had good lunch and slept… 4 different bed rooms at two different beautifull units.. Mine was in the first floor right below Vinoth & Arun were playing cricket.. Well, I postponed my sleep to the night and cleared my leftover sleep by splashing cold water and joined them. Vinoth counted me for the coffee and he ordered only for us. And I went to everyone’s room to end their afternoon naps.
I was setting my tripod for the camera and taking some pics. They got coffee and teas, but people were awake by that time and I lost my turn twice. Vinoth drank twice. L
We went to a nearby rock (sliced enough for Granite).. Few stayed back. With some photo sessions, we returned back to the homestay.
We sat in a circle. Well, we used to get into some constructive criticism arguement/chat generally with a special topic sitting like that. But having new year tmw I didn’t want that kinda chat to happen well ahead of the plan. So we played a game.
GAME
Say 4 is the number (any number). Everyone to say one count, but when the said number (4) or its fold, the person has to say ‘Pass’ and continuing the rest. You know what the max count reached was 43 after 2 trail games and 3 real ones.
Dinner; Assembly; Sleep
31st Dec
By the time we finished our breakfast it was 10:30am plus. Continuing the exploration with respect to the suggestions, we head to “Banasura Dam”. We walked 2kms to reach the Dam after an hour of journey. Well, it was a normal dam with small islands in between. (Sharavathi is incomparable with this). The speed boat service (1 was operating and the other one joined after seeing much of pending queue) told us to wait for 90 mins for the ride. With no places to stand under the shade, we decided to stay for the drive. Myself, Vinoth, Arun, Ramesh, Bharathi went to a nearby bush to save ourselves from the hot sun. As it was not helping much and for the colourful 😉 waterfront, we soon headed back to the water after emptying a big tin of cookies.
To cool off, I drenched Vinoth, in turn Bharathi got drenched as she was sitting behind him. They took the revenge by filling the cookie ‘dabba’ with dam water and splashing at me. We continued the game with Krish and others leaving those who stored the Cams, Cellphones, watches.
Atlast our turn came.
For a boring ride. And Vinoth team had a very boring ride claiming not so skilled driver.
Then we returned back to the resort around 3pm and hogged our lunch.
4pm, we packed everyone at the TT and headed to Calicut beach. Except me and vinoth rest got into the tides. We were safekeeping their valuables. (I didn’t like that sea, thats a different story)..
Tea, ‘Sundal’, Bajji filled our stomachs a bit. Started back to the resort after 7pm.
Well in those hairpin bends of those hilly roads, there were some blocks. There was a jam when we were there. Pravin and Vinoth (??!!) helped them to fix it to continue our journey. When we started the trip we worried a bit as Bharathi is the only girl, how she will adopt the gang. Well, we forgot that now. With a mind blowing performance of the ‘voororam poliyamaram’ song and some mimics she proved she is double the time of Vinoth. We loved her attitude. After refreshing, everybody assembled to the campfire place expecting the dinner to be ready. And shortly it was. After that, we resume to the campfire place.
Generally a lucky person will cut the new year cake. Last year Vijay. And this year, thorough ‘pinky, pinky, ponky’ Arun got the chance. Guys, this guy got his girl, and the new year cake.. lucky man..
00:00 AM
Balloons, foam sprays, newyear wish hugs. Later the ‘camp fire cirlce’. I wished a lighter theme time still a involving theme. As Love considered to be a ultra sensitive topic, I told them well in advance (24 hours earlier) to be prepared for 5 mins talk. As usual none prepared, thats what we wanted too.. 😉 People started one by one.. You know it was damn good to hear 12 different persons meaning of ‘Love’ and most it differed. 12 persons and 12 different meanings.. Is it ringing something to you?? 😉
1st Jan 2008
Its the new years first day. Generally we start with a temple. Not this time. We went to Edakkal caves.
Well it is believed that pre-historic people lived there by their drawings in a cave formed by 3 huge rocks.
Few stayed below for waiting for the Jeep to carry them and Arun, pravin, Krish, Dinesh, and myself started walking towards the cave (situated at half of the hill). It was really tiring path and I realized it was just 5% of the journey so late.
Generally we used to have thrills at every trip because of those adventuours moments given by rain, hills, leeches or haunted places. We thought we didn’t get into any until we reached the place.
It was different.
Edakkal cave is a very rough still walkable path on rocks. We were informed that by 2pm the cave will be opened. By curiosity we wanted to reach the peak which could be the worst thought on the first day of the year.
We ignored and started to the peak.
It was very rocky, but with good grips in place. One slip, you might have to roll on rocks for 50-100 feet.
When headed further, one who was getting down said ‘highly dangerous’. I told myself, I have seen worse and was wondering nothing THAT worse.
I was wrong.
There were many climbing and that made us to continue. At one place there was a small iron ladder, ahead a rope tied to iron rods. Hope all have seen spider man. Remember how spiderman climbed the walls. Krishna climbed exactly like that. Literally crawling. Funny, he wore same kind of red shoes that day.. J
We continued further. Meanwhile Vijay and Kubhi (those who waited for the jeep) joined with us telling the others didn’t make it because of the tough rocks. Vijay headed further and I wanted every one to be together. With some deep breaths and extremely cautious grips we headed for the next level to see the further one is even tougher. It was even tougher to give way to those getting down on those rocks. If I have a little power with Kerala government, I would band the place. Without harness or experts one should not try the place at all.
Still people didn’t stop speaking while climbing. I was definitely not in mood to listen to my guys’ jokes. The next level was even more tougher. I never felt that fear (because of my stupid actions) earlier in my life. I wanted just ONE THING. My people to reach safely to the vehicle. We were still climbing.
After 5 minutes, we reached the peak. Vijay,Senthil, Arun, Pravin and myself. Nothing great except breeze. We were bragging about how we climbed. Kubhi, Dinesh, Krish stopped at last levels and didn’t climb further.
…and then it happened. A bunch of school goers. Girls and guys. That too girls with skirts. It didn’t disturb them. They wore it as if they are attending a marriage and climbed the peak teasing the rest of the team. When they were at peak, we wholeheartedly wished them for their courage. They told us, every 3 months they climb peaks and the last one was Tadiandamol (the one WE failed to climb after facing leeches first in our life time)
Getting down is three fold risk compared to going up.
I prayed eventhough I felt silly.
After 2 hours, down at a restaurant we met Vinoth, Bharathi, Mr.Nari (who feels good and responds when someone calls ‘nari’ )… They told us they had lunch, had good time and commented that the food wasn’t THAT good.
What you would have did in my place. Having less energy, shaking thighs and knees I settled for a refreshing tea. Rest ate whatever the found there.
When I opened my eyes, I found the very famous Seetha Devi temple and the TT was just parked. We bought a coconut, went to that temple and thanked. A coincidence??!!
We continued our trip with Bharathi’s version of their first meet at Coffee Day and my lecture about the marriage.
We had our dinner at Mysore at a roadside Dhaba.
We reached Bangalore at midnight.
I know we would get tanned; But we may gain it back in a month or so.
But we were left with good memories.. They wont fade.. forever.
