A Trip To heaven....

Looking out of the window has never been more beautiful and enrapturing… Trust me! I may sound like a total dreamer (which I am, in a certain way) but the only way I can define Kerela is by saying- “Heavens all here!”
This trip to Kerela had been organized by RedX, the socio-adventure club of Manipal and for a nature-lover like me, this was a total not-to-be-missed opportunity. More so, because this time I went for the trip not as an outsider, but as a part of the RedX family.
We left Manipal on the 9th at around 11:30. After thoroughly enjoying ourselves in the bus, singing (in voices, sure to give any “bathroom singer” contestant, a complex :P) for almost 2 and a half hours, our vocal cords finally got a bit of respite when we had to stop at the check post on the Karnataka- Kerela state border. We were stuck there for almost 2 hours (due to some document problem, as I was told about, later on.). But no issues, because standing there on the highway, in no man’s land, in the dead of the night, was a totally ultimate experience. Due to the rain, it had become a lil chilly or may be I was shivering because of the strange amalgamation of feelings of excitement, anticipation and apprehension that had taken control of my being, in such an atypical situation.
Finally, at around quarter to 4, we received the much awaited green signal to proceed towards our destination. The next couple of hours were followed by deep slumber, to recharge our batteries for what lay ahead.
The advantage of sitting beside the window on such trips is that, the first sight that greets one’s eyes when one is woken up by a sudden jolt of the bus, is a misty window and beyond that, an array of rapidly passing, freshly bathed, green trees (and I mean totally GREEN trees), after which one does not curse the roads for spoiling one’s beauty sleep. After I had enough time to satiate my eyes with such a treat, we finally pulled over at a small place, on the way, to freshen up.
For the next leg of the journey, I sat in the last row of the bus, with my friends. We had a photograph session (yes, I lurv taking snaps :D ) and another round of India’s most favorite any-occasion-any-location game - Antakshari. After a quick breakfast at a "Mallu" hotel (where chutney was served in a big steel bucket, the kind used for bathing :P), our next stoppage was at Paithalmala.
I had the time of my life there. Mentioning how stunning the view was, will be stating the obvious and repeating a very clichéd line. As the four jeeps, overflowing with the previous occupants of the bus, climbed the hills further, all we could do was hold our breaths at the sight that greeted our eyes. Once on top, we got an astounding view of a miniature waterfall. Though I was initially quite reluctant to get my shoes and jeans wet in the icy cold waters (which I swear, had nothing to do with the leeches that were supposed to be present there *involuntarily shivers*) , the adventurous streak in me finally took over and I braved the fall (and the leeches :p).
We decided to walk back to the foot of the mountain instead of taking the jeep. I really wished I could have stood there longer and taken in the view, but as we were already running behind schedule, we all had to hurry up. On the way back, I also went leech hunting. (I couldn’t help it! I really wanted to see a real one, having heard SO much about them. Good or bad? Well, lets leave that out of the discussion :P). And yes! I finally did see a leech. Not on the way, under some rock, but on a friend’s hand, in the bus !! (see… I told u. The law of attraction never fails to work :D ). Traveling down the mountain, hanging on the bars behind the jeep, was an experience Iam gonna take long to forget :D
Our next stop was St Angelo’s Fort. On the way, I and my MP3 player gave each other company. You know, it’s really surprising how slow, romantic numbers sound so wonderful in such situations! ;) The multitude of random thoughts that keep romping about, all over one’s cerebrum, just adds to the feel.
Set by the sea, St’ Angelo’s Fort looked beautiful. Rains have this weird kind of magic. They can make everything look so serene and pure; even a century old fort that had mosses and algae growing all over it (and loos which had locks that looked as if they had been last used when the king was alive and nobody has bothered to open them ever since :P)
Since by then, the Rain-God had turned quite hostile towards us, we could stop for just half n hour at the next and also the last place on our itinerary- Payambalam Beach Garden (sheesh! The names of these places are tough!).
At 12:15, we finally reached home-sweet-home (I mean Manipal:P ), all wet and shivering.
After such an awesome time, the repercussions (read- sore throat and mild fever) seem very insignificant. Instead, such exhilarating display of nature’s bounty, leave one vying for more .