Sunday, March 18, 2007

Second Honeymoon Anyone....?



the state of mind usually reflects in what and how you do things....I’m no different here.....the past few months have definitely been a roller coaster and I have gone on and on about it in my last post.....but no it didn’t end there...in fact there was more.....I have decided against two things most immediately....I am not going to have a pet anytime soon if the travel continues...and I have to grow more water resistant plants if at all any.......

this time k and I took a trip which was to be our second honeymoon....it was a trip for ourselves and not to meet familial obligations....it was also a trip to explore a few possibilities that had lined themselves up and ponder on a few thoughts......so we trekked out...excited that we'd be on our own for the first time in 3 yrs....we'd made promises that we would do this every few months when we had just taken our I do and don’t vows, but like many other things....we 'prioritised' this too....no regrets...I have always believed in that...so off we went....flew down to coimbatore....took a cab to yercaud...our destination in the hills....to escape from the heat that was now Hyderabad into the unbelievably lush green and cooler Salem was a relief......we climbed the small mountain about 1500 meters above sea and sank into the cooler climes.....en route we saw the perpetual primates...to which k commented "its shocking how much like us they are!!"

the hills were laced with the remnants of what we call spring in our tropics....its amazing to watch the palette of nature....huge trees, bushes and shrubs alike sported only two main colours...lavender that was breathtaking and sunshine yellow that was so uplifting.....I’m not particularly fond of these two colours say in a wardrobe....but out there it was simply breathtaking....


City slickers really are shortchanged for the concrete structures that we marvel at.....mother earth makes you feel completely inadequate......we spent 3 idyllic days at yercaud....we realised despite what one particularly cute dog says, there are still places in this country that thankfully doesn’t have network coverage and such slow internet access that you wont want to "check your mail" ever!! all we did was trek ....panting and gasping with the excess weight and side effects of smoking I guess....drive around the country side....walk through many coffee plantations (the mainstay of farming in yercaud) eat and relax..... its surprising how long it seems when you have finally lost track of the watch and calendar!!


K and I have always been instinctive….in everything that we have done…we believe that now’s the time…there may not be another time tomorrow….ala kal ho na ho?? So we decided that we’d not had enough and wanted some more… the seas beckoned so on a whim, return tickets were cancelled and onward plans we made….we drove 14 hours into kerala……

Kerala.....it never disappoints and is everything that it promises to be……the lushness of the terrain really surprises you….went to a place called Varkala, that is a couple of hours before the very ‘touristy’ kovalam…..i wasn’t prepared for what I saw and experienced over the next four days…..the water was so clear that you can see your feet even at 20 meters into the sea…..the beach is possibly one of the cleanest I have ever seen…..



the view was breathtaking and so relaxing that I didn’t mind the 10 shades I tanned after it all….our stay at the Taj was enchanting because of the famous hospitality ….they even decorated our bed with flowers one night to surprise us while we were having dinner!! We gorged on food and it has taken its toll……..i lolled about the swimming pool and realised that I must have looked like I was drowning!! Even if we didn’t want to go out explore the place, the sea view from our suite was picture postcard variety…….we’ve returned home on Friday night….relaxed and rejuvenated and thankful for the journeys of life that we have made…I have understood somewhere that the best laid plans may not work out and don’t be surprised when the unexpected gives you more happiness than you thought it would…..k and I have a few things on hand now….the first being to recover from the vacation, the second being to loose all the holiday flab……


we’ve decided to explore a tleast three places this year that are’nt covered by the travel books….family and friends were shocked that we shed the straightjackets we’d worn for so long and showed our maverick sides again……we’d already warned them that regular calls wouldn’t be possible from where we were heading…..plus the sudden detour sort of caught them off guard…..we are so used to living a planned life!! Hell we have insurance plans for everything these days…..i’m glad that the both of us are as mad as we are…..we’d have never experienced what we did otherwise….

to sound a trifle trite……. if this is what journeys are about then I am game and my bags are packed already……………..